Changing Tides
by Gemmi92
Summary: "I've known you for six years, Erik," she whispered as she watched him intently. "How well do I know you?" Erik said nothing for a few moments before he looked away. "Not as well as you think." Erik/OC
1. Chapter 1

"You cannot keep thinking that this is okay."

He knew the usual conversation they had. They had it every time he came to visit her, but she never complained then. She would only complain the following morning when he started to dress again. He would have suspected that she had grown immune to what they did, but she never had done. She always moaned and he always placated her somehow. He didn't know how he did it, but he did.

"Why?" he asked back from her. "Unless you have some boyfriend I don't know about?"

She shifted in the bed uncomfortably, pulling the white sheet up to her neck as she hid underneath it. She shook her head slowly and pushed a free hand through her dark blonde hair whilst he pulled his trousers over his legs.

"You know I don't," she replied to him. "I tried dating but I never found anyone...and then you keep randomly showing up..."

"We agreed to what our relationship is," he reminded her, hunting around her small bedroom for his shirt. He finally found it by the side of the bed and he knelt on the floor to pick it up as she looked down to him and arched a condescending brow.

"And if I want more?" she demanded from him.

He pushed his arms into the purple shirt and nodded. "Then you can look for more, but I am not the man to give you more, Annalise."

"That's unfair," she wailed before lying back on the bed and staring to the ceiling. "How can you keep coming here and sleep with me but claim you don't want anything else."

"You let me keep coming," he reminded her. "And I told you that I have other priorities right now. Settling down does not interest me."

"Who says it interests me?" she demanded from him as he sat on the edge of the bed and buttoned his shirt up his chest. "I don't want to settle down with a family and a house, but I do want some stability. I can't keep going to work and coming home whilst thinking about you all the time. Do you know how needy I sound?"

He grinned down to his lap and she slapped him across the arm as he chuckled. He turned back to look at her as she glowered and pouted her thin lips.

"Do you take anything seriously, Erik?" she demanded from him. "I've known you for years now but I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this."

"Falling for me already?" he teased her and he watched as her cheeks flushed red. "Anna, if you want to move on then just say so. Tell me definitively and I will go."

She bit the inside of her cheek before sitting up and looking to him, her front pressing against his side as he moved his hand to her neck. His fingers danced across the pale skin there and she inhaled a sharp breath. She wrapped both of her arms around one of his and he wondered what he was doing. He should never be so close to a woman when he had things to do. Usually he upped and left without such sentiment, but he had a feeling today would be different.

"You know I don't want to tell you that," she whispered in a soft voice. "But I...I think it is for the best this time, Erik. Being with you isn't healthy for me and it isn't healthy for you either."

"You told me my entire lifestyle isn't healthy," Erik scoffed and she nodded sternly.

"Chasing after Nazis isn't healthy," she informed him. "I do worry about what will happen to you, especially if you do find him. After what he did, I know he isn't someone to trifle with."

"I have no intention of trifling with him," Erik said, his voice back to that serious tone she had grown accustomed to. "I intend to kill him, Anna."

"I imagine he has no intention of letting you," she contradicted. "I cannot stop you. I never have been able to, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life worrying about you when you have no intention of doing anything but sleep with me."

"You say this all the time," Erik reminded her and looked at her condescendingly.

He moved his nose against hers, tilting her head so that he could quickly kiss her. He moved his hand to her waist and held her steadily against his body as he deepened the kiss and she moaned against him. This was the usual way Erik placated her. He could keep her quiet so long as his lips worked against hers. It was a skill he had.

"No," Annalise suddenly declared as she forced her lips from his. "I'm serious this time, Erik."

Erik sighed and his head drooped, his gaze set on her chest as she stared at him, wondering if he would change his mind. She hoped he would. She longed for him to say something to her. She wanted him to promise her that he would stop; he would stop and he would stay with her. She was well aware that would never happen. Erik Lensherr was his own man.

But it would never happen.

He was hell bent on revenge and that was all there was to it.

She knew where she ranked. She always had known, but that didn't make it any easier. It made it much more difficult if she had to be honest.

"Do what you need to do and stay safe, but don't come back if you only want a one night stand," Annalise demanded from him. "You may be able to separate your feelings from sex, but I'm slowly struggling to do just that."

"I see."

"Do you?" Annalise continued to pressure him. "You walked into my life when I was twenty and look where we are five years later? We haven't moved on at all. I'm still a receptionist and you're still on your crazy mission."

"It feels like a breakup," Erik commented, "but we were never really together."

"Got it in one," Annalise whispered, "and that's where the issue lies."

Erik stood up and grabbed his tie from the chair it rested over. He draped it over his neck and tossed his suit jacket over his shoulder. He sat back down to place his shoes on and Annalise continued to stare at him with wide eyes. Would he look back to her and tell her he wanted more? Would he bother? Annalise continued to chew her bottom lip whilst Erik finished lacing his shoes up.

"I guess this a goodbye," Erik mused.

"It looks like it," Annalise whispered back and bent down to place her straight hair behind her shoulder, kissing her on the forehead.

"Look after yourself, Anna," he demanded from her.

"You too, Erik."

Annalise listened to the soft click of the door and she rested against the headboard, closing her eyes and feeling her eyes water. She moved her hands to her orbs to wipe away the moisture pooled there. Only then did she rest on her side and beg for sleep to find her again.

...

A/N: So I'm back with another Erik/OC! Please do let me know what you think so far!


	2. Chapter 2

Annalise tried to date. She spent nights sat at tables with men in various restaurants. She laughed, joked and even told them some aspects of her childhood, but one date never led to the next. She didn't know why she couldn't move on. Erik Lensherr had gone. He had waltzed out of her life and he had told her that he would not come back.

So why did she spend her nights sat at home in her apartment, waiting for him to walk through the door?

She didn't know, but she did know that she was being pathetic. What kind of a woman sat around and waited for a man? Apparently she did.

It was late at night when she finished work one evening, tidying up the notes she had been sent from her boss who was preparing for a speech at an event. She walked out the door with her satchel swinging against her hip before she made her way to her local bar.

She knew what her parents would say if they could see her ordering a small glass of brandy. A bar was no place for a woman to go and sit. They would be so disappointed with her if they knew she had been sleeping with a man she had no intention of marrying. Her parents were old fashioned and desperate for her to settle down.

Unfortunately she had yet to do just that.

The bar she sat in was quiet for a Monday night. The lights were dimmed low and there were only a couple of businessmen in suits sat drinking that night. Annalise perched at the bar, holding her drink lightly in her fingertips as she recalled how she had met Erik.

"Is anyone sitting here?"

Annalise looked up and across to a man who stood before her. He looked to be in his early forties and was impeccably dressed in a black suit with a contrasting red tie against his white shirt. Annalise shook her head as the man flashed a pearly white smile and his brown hair bounced on top of his head as he slid onto the stool.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said, his American accent shining through as he did so. "It was just that I noticed you sat here alone and I thought I'd come and see if you wanted a drink. Call me a tourist, but I don't like drinking alone."

"That's...awfully nice of you," Annalise decided to say, "but I have a drink. Thank you for the offer though!"

It took a moment for him to laugh at her and he looked sheepish as he did so. "Am I interrupting something?" he worried. "Are you waiting around for your boyfriend and I've-"

"-Oh God no," she shook her head with haste at him, almost spitting out her drink as she sipped on it. "It is nothing like that! I don't have a boyfriend or a husband."

"Really?" he asked of her, gesturing to her with his hand. "I would have thought a good looking gal like you would have had someone."

"No," she shook her head. "I really don't...well...I did...I mean I haven't been a spinster all my life...it's just...he left last week."

She knew she was babbling and she knew she must have looked pathetic to him, but what else could she do? He had asked if she had a boyfriend and her mind had gone back to Erik. She doubted he was perfect boyfriend material, but no one was perfect. Erik definitely wasn't. The first time she had met him had been when he was stood over the body of a corpse. They really had come a long way since that incident.

"Oh," the man replied. "I am sorry to hear that."

"You and me both," Annalise scoffed. "Anyway, I doubt you want to hear about my failed relationships. What are you doing here? You said you were a tourist."

"I am," he nodded to her. "I'm from New York, but I have an aunt who loves here in London so I thought I'd come and visit her. I would be with her right now, but she is currently out with some friends. You travel over the pond and end up having to entertain yourself, right?"

Annalise gave him a soft smile and sipped on her alcohol again before the man ordered himself a drink. It took a moment for him to glance back to her, that wide smile still occupying his face as he did so.

"So you live in London?" he asked of her.

"Born and bred," she confirmed for him. "I work at an insurance company as a secretary and have a flat just outside of Farringdon. That is basically my life in a nutshell."

"Simplistic," he nodded to her. "It sounds much better than leading a complicated life. Believe me, some women I involve myself with are nothing but trouble and it becomes tiresome."

"Exactly," Annalise suddenly exclaimed, her mind going back to Erik as she tried to shake him from her vision. "I just can't deal with anything that isn't simple. I don't want to deal with it either. Why would anyone?"

"I do not know," the man responded softly to her. "Anyway, I'm only here for a week or so and then it is back to the States."

"And what is it you do over there?" Annalise enquired, trying to be polite to the man.

Why should she not converse with him? He seemed like a genuinely nice person and it was clear he was too old for her to consider...well...doing anything with.

"I own a club," he said. "Don't worry; nothing seedy, just a club in Vegas that makes me enough money. I've had it for a few years now. I never knew what I should have invested in, but running the club seems to be working well for me. I think it takes a few years before you truly know what it is you want to do with your life."

"I hope so," Annalise agreed. "I don't want to spend the rest of my days as a receptionist."

"And what is it you want to do?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I've often thought about going into finance. That sounds dull, but I really do love numbers and maths. Anyway, it's just a dream, isn't it? I actually need to do something first."

"I think if you want something so badly then you'll find it," he nodded thoughtfully to her. "That's inevitable."

"I hope so," Annalise said and she slipped from the stool she sat on. "Anyway, I should get going. I have work in the morning and I need to finish off some paperwork at home. It was a pleasure meeting you."

"The pleasure was all mine," he promised her, "but I never caught your name."

"Annalise Barton," she offered him her hand and he took it, his fingers engulfing hers as he moved their entwined limbs up and down.

"Sebastian Shaw," he responded. "Perhaps I may see you in here another night?"

Annalise laughed and adjusted her satchel on her shoulder and draped her beige coloured mac over her arm as she walked backwards and away from Sebastian.

"I'm in here most nights," she shrugged to him. "Maybe I will see you again."

...

A/N: Thanks to everyone reading and do let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Annalise didn't know much about Sebastian Shaw. She didn't entirely understand why he kept on bumping into her at the bar. She also didn't know why she kept on attending the bar he went to. She didn't know how to act around him without appearing incoherent. Sebastian was a very clever individual and she felt foolish whenever she was around him.

She said the wrong thing or she said something he didn't understand. But he always humoured her, even when she was moaning about how all of her past relationships had failed miserably. He had asked her about them, but she scarcely want to divulge information on the matter, regardless of how much she was missing Erik.

She cursed the day she had ever met him. She cursed the day she had seen him. She had met him over a dead body, for heaven's sake. That was scarcely normal. Why should she think any differently? Their relationship had been nothing but toxic from the moment she decided not to call the police and let him get away with murder.

"You had to go and do it," Annalise muttered as she perched on the edge of her bed.

Sebastian Shaw had returned to the USA after concluding his business trip. Annalise had been to a bar with him and a restaurant, but she was almost relieved when he told her that he would be leaving. She didn't want to sound rude or ungrateful, but he was unnerving. He looked at her with such intensity that it caused her to turn away and wonder what was running through her mind. Of course, Erik used to look at her like that, but she had always demanded to hear his worries or she had stared at him until he either kissed her or complained. She had never hid from Erik.

Her flat was quiet and the noise outside was non-existent. She moved slowly through the small space, tidying her work clothes into her wardrobe and moving clothes around. It was only then when she swore that she heard a noise from her living room.

She closed the wardrobe and peered around her door, almost jumping out of her skin at the sight she saw there. She screamed loudly and placed a hand over her mouth, the motion taking hold of her before she could stop it. She stomped one foot before he moved over to her, his hands resting on her shoulders and moving down her upper arms.

Pushing her hands, she moved her own to his shoulders and looked down to the ground, unable to look him in the eye as she caught her breath.

"Thank God you're safe," he whispered to her and she took a moment to breathe deeply, inhaling sharply as she did so. "Do you have any idea how worried I have been about you? Do you know what has happened?"

"What are you talking about?" Annalise whispered, peering up to him again as her blonde hair fell in front of her face. "You left, Erik. You left and you said you wouldn't come back."

"And I wouldn't have," Erik promised her, "but I found out that he had been with you."

Annalise didn't know what he was talking of, but his first sentence stung the most. He hadn't come back because he wanted to. He hadn't returned because he realised that he loved her. None of those things had crossed his mind. He had come back because he had to; for what reason, Annalise did not know.

"Who?" she managed to ask him.

"Schmidt," Erik growled his name lowly. "I found him, Annalise. I found him and he said that he had found something of mine...something he could hurt...would hurt if he had to..."

"Erik," Annalise groaned his name, "I haven't met anyone called Schmidt. Do you not think I would have known if I had? I haven't met anyone, but I'm doing fine in case you were wondering. I doubt you were, but maybe a part of you cared."

"He doesn't go by Schmidt anymore," Erik clarified for her. "He changed his name to Sebastian Shaw."

Erik watched how Annalise paled slowly, her gaze avoiding his and her hands releasing his arms. She moved away from him and dropped her hands to her hips. Walking through her living room, she flicked the light switch on so that the room was fully illuminated. She had sat with the man who had murdered Erik's mother. She had laughed at his jokes. She had let him buy her dinner.

It took her a second to turn her head over her shoulder to look back to Erik and she felt tears well up in her orbs. Why did she feel so guilty? She didn't know who Sebastian was. She didn't know what he had done. Erik had left her and he had gone.

"Are you crying?" Erik asked of her.

"I'm so sorry," Anna whispered and Erik's brow furrowed. "I didn't know...I never knew..."

"I know," Erik assured her, still holding a look of confusion on his face as she continued to worry over what she had done. "Anna, what is it?"

"Nothing," she shook her head. "It's just that I had dinner with him...and...we talked...but he said..."

"Annalise," Erik snapped her name and finally managed to wrap his arms around her waist. "I don't blame you for this. You know that. You had no idea who he was or what his intentions were."

"But I was so pathetic," she muttered to Erik and kept her arms folded over her chest tightly. "I...you'd gone...and I was desperate for someone else...someone for company..."

Erik hesitated for a second, his grip increasing on her as he allowed her words to sink in. She looked to him and Erik's jaw tightened and that harsh gaze she had grown to know formed on his face. He shook her and bent down to her height, his face brushing against hers.

"Did you sleep with him?" he demanded from her.

Shock and annoyance formed on her face and she shook her head. "Of course not! I wouldn't sleep with him! I barely know him! Why would you suggest that?"

"You were talking about looking for company," Erik muttered, his grip slackening and his forehead resting against hers.

Why was he bothered? Erik had agreed to leave Annalise alone. He had promised her that he would walk out of her life and not come back. He had assured her that he would let her move on. Now he was back. She was at liberty to sleep with who she wanted, but he couldn't cope if she slept with Shaw. He didn't know if he liked the thought of anyone else having her either.

"Do you think that I could move on so quickly?" she whispered. "I tried, but I can't."

Erik almost replied to her, but he shook his head. That was a conversation for another day. All that mattered now was taking her somewhere safe where Shaw couldn't hurt her. Erik didn't know if he had any intention to harm her, but he had a feeling that Shaw was a man of his word, even after all those years.

"What matters is that you're safe," Erik muttered and he moved his finger underneath her chin, tilting her head up so that he could look her in the eye. "I need you to come with me, Anna. Shaw is more dangerous than I had thought and he is plotting."

"What?" Annalise wondered. "Why do you think he would hurt me? We're not together, Erik. There is nothing happening between us."

"And do you think that it wouldn't hurt _me _if he took you away?" Erik demanded from her. "I may not want to put a ring on your finger, Anna, but I do care for you. You're the only woman I've grown close to and Shaw would use that against me."

"And what about what I want?" Anna asked of him.

"Do you not want to stay safe?" Erik quickly retorted.

"Of course," she replied, "but I think Shaw has overestimated my importance."

"That isn't important!" Erik snapped at her, releasing her from his hold and moving through the living room, his hands running through his hair hastily. "Whether he has overestimated it or not, he still threatened to come for you. Did you think that I wanted come back for you?"

"We agreed not to see each other again-"

"-But this is your life, Anna!" Erik exclaimed to her and he flapped his arms by his side, annoyance taking hold of him at her moaning.

"My life which you cannot keep waltzing into," she muttered, sensing that Erik wasn't in the mood for her to continue discussing that issue with him. "But fine, how did you meet him? And what has happened?"

Erik seemed to calm down as Annalise settled down on the sofa, leaning forwards and clasping her hands together. Perching on the arm of the sofa, Erik moved his hand to her shoulder, wondering if he could offer her some sense of support. He hoped he could.

"I tracked him down to his yacht after visiting Argentina where he owns a villa. I found him and he told me that he had been with you for the past week. I didn't believe him to begin with. I thought that he was lying...but he knew what you looked like...he knew what perfume you wear...your favourite black dress with the white collar...how you chewed on your straw when you're nervous...just everything, Anna," Erik whispered to her and she gulped lowly.

She moved her hand upwards, resting it on top of Erik's which sat on her shoulder. She said nothing as she felt Erik's fingers wrap into hers and she contemplated what it was that Shaw intended to do.

"I tried to follow Shaw, but the CIA wants him. They think he is planning something with the Soviet Union and they want to find out what that it...I met other people...like me...a telepath..."

"What?" Annalise asked, moving on the sofa to sit on her knees as she stared at Erik with her wide eyes. "You're not alone?"

"No," Erik said, almost in a tone of disbelief. "There are others, Annalise. They are back in America, but I came here to find you. I need you to come there with me."

"I can't," Annalise complained to him. "I can't just leave. I have a job here-"

"-Anna," Erik interrupted, the warning tone to his voice back once again. "Your life is all that matters. You will come with me and I will keep you safe. Do you understand?"

"Do I have any other option?" Annalise quickly asked and Erik smirked.

He picked her hand up and pressed his lips to her knuckles as she dropped her head to rest against his leather jacket clad arm. Erik said nothing as she made the motion and he knew full well that he had won this argument with her. It was very rare for Erik to win an argument with Annalise. He remembered he often gave in and let her think that she was right. It was easier. But not this time. This time Erik would not leave her flat without her.

"Not this time," Erik spoke. "This is for the best, Anna. You have to believe me. All I want is to keep you safe."

"I know," Annalise promised, her head drooping slightly as Erik slid down the sofa to settle beside her, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. "You're not a bad person, Erik, I know that...and I know you try to do the right thing..."

"I am so glad you think so," Erik said; a slim smirk on his face and Annalise smacked his chest.

"You know what I'm talking about," she complained to him. "But it looks like I'll be spending a lot more time with you."

"Wearing clothes and outside of the bedroom," Erik clarified and Annalise laughed and hit his chest once more. Erik caught her wrist and she nestled closer to him.

Erik struggled to believe how he felt at that moment in time. He had killed people. He had murdered men without any second thought, but there he was making sure he was caring for Annalise. There was a vast difference between them. He didn't know he felt about that. Annalise didn't think he was a monster. She thought he was good. She thought he was something more than the cold blooded killer he really was. Erik didn't know if he hoped that she was right.

He just knew that he would do all that he could to stop Shaw from hurting the one thing he actually cared for.


	4. Chapter 4

Annalise stood in her bedroom, bent over her bed as she folded shirts up and placed them delicately into a small suitcase. Erik had urged for her to pack light and she was more than obliged to do just that. She had asked him what things she would need, but he could only just shrug at her and tell her that he was not an expert in women's attire. Annalise had rolled her eyes and set about packing an array of clothing.

"Do you intend to tell your parents that you are going away for a while?"

Erik was wandering around her room and he looked to the small photograph which she kept on her dresser. He picked the frame up and admired the photo of her with her mother and father at some form of family event. She was barely smiling as her father rested a hand on her shoulder and her mother looked straight into the lens. Erik could not deny that Annalise was a pretty young woman. He estimated that the photo must have been taken when she was in her late teens. Her blonde hair hung in limp curls and she wore a straight dress on her skin.

"No," Annalise said, snapping Erik away from the photo once he had found himself staring at her and ignoring her parents in the frame. "Do you think that they would understand? I could call them and tell them that some dashing German man intends to whisk me off to America…obviously leaving out the minor detail that I would be going because someone may kill me…they would not take kindly to that. Of course, I doubt they would take kindly to the lie either."

Arching a brow, Erik watched on as Annalise grabbed tights and underwear from her dresser. She tossed her hair over one shoulder before looking to his un-amused face. She gave him a small smile, hoping that she could somehow change the atmosphere they had found themselves in.

"I'm not telling them, Erik," she confirmed. "I shall call work in the morning and tell them that I am ill."

"Do as you please," Erik muttered and stuffed his hands into his pockets of his trousers. "Our flight leaves in three hours."

"Fine," Annalise spoke. "And what do you intend to do once we arrive there?"

"Find Shaw," Erik informed her. "We have amassed a number of mutants to help us, but we know that they need changing. Charles…the telepath I met…he has them kept in the CIA headquarters for safety. We fly back and then we discover where Shaw is before going after him."

Annalise couldn't help but think how crazy this all sounded. She had never been involved in something like this before. Her day job revolved around filing and answering phone calls. The most exciting thing which had happened in her day was seeing her boss walk out of his office with his tie askew followed by his wife after she had come into visit. Annalise had said nothing, but she had smirked when she sat back down at her desk.

"And…if you're off and trying to find Shaw…then what…what do I do?" Annalise asked him. "You don't intend to use me as bait, do you?"

"Are you insane?" Erik couldn't help but snap at her and she shrugged, depositing her lingerie into the suitcase and turning to look at him, her arms folded over her chest. "You are going nowhere near him."

"I was joking," Annalise whispered, leaning over slightly to hiss at him. "You need to lighten up, Erik. Your seriousness will be the death of you one day. Do you know that?"

Erik remained tight lipped, his jaw stern and his gaze harsh as he watched Annalise with wonder. He shook his head and she did her best not to antagonise him anymore. She was aware how Erik worked. He would be sarcastic and witty sometimes. Most times she had seen him had been when he was joking and laughing with her. He was cocky, but never too serious. There had been other times when he had not been that. He had been cold and had sniped at her. He never smiled.

It was those times which Annalise hated. She hated the serious side of Erik. She detested it. She always tried to bring the smile to his face, even if that meant staying awake all night to be with him. She felt pathetic whenever he went the following morning. She knew that it was foolish to stay up all night to try to please a man who would never want her like she wanted him. She cursed herself for it only a daily basis.

"I know that your life is no joking matter," Erik warned her. "Have you nearly packed? We need to go soon."

"Almost," Annalise muttered, throwing a jumper over the shirt she wore tucked into her black mini skirt. She pulled the collar of the white shirt out of the jumper, allowing it to rest against the blue cotton material.

She threw in her toiletries and shut the lid of the case, zipping it up with difficulty. She hadn't thought that she had brought that much, but she was apparently wrong. Erik lifted the case from the bed and dropped it down, holding the handle in his hand as Annalise picked up the battered satchel her parents had given her for her twenty first birthday.

Erik strode ahead in silence, allowing Annalise to lock her flat as he waited at the end of the corridor, her small suitcase still in his hands. Annalise looked to the locked door of her flat and sighed, her eyes set on the wood for a few brief moments. Erik could sense her hesitance as she eyed the wood. He knew what she was thinking. He was dragging her away from the place she knew to be home. It was her sanctuary. Annalise had a safe life and now she was about to be thrust into a different world; a world which was filled with danger.

"Anna," Erik whispered loud enough for her to hear him.

Her eyes snapped to the side, looking over to Erik as he offered her his hand outwards and in front of his body. Annalise looked to it and nodded, moving hastily down the corridor, her satchel slamming against her hip as she went. She kept her gaze down as she finally laced her hand inside of Erik's and allowed him to lead her away from her flat.

…

If there was anything Erik hated, it was waiting. He detested having to stand still and watch and wait. He was impatient. He knew what needed to happen and he wanted it to happen instantly. Regardless, he suspected that he had waited a decade to get Shaw. He could wait another few days. So long as he finally did kill him; Erik did not care when it happened.

He was seated in the departures terminal of the London airport whilst Annalise stood by the glass panes, her head resting against the glass as she watched planes take off and land. Erik had picked up a paper and had feigned interest in it, but he had found his gaze focused on the blonde at the window instead. She had not moved ever since they had arrived in the lounge, preferring her own company for a while.

Erik had given her time to come to grips with what he had told her, recalling how long it had taken him to calm her down when he had first met her. He could recall how scared she looked. He could remember everything about her; from the way she covered her hands in her boss's blood in an attempt to revive him to the way she had screamed at Erik once she had seen him and he had grabbed her to silence her.

Looking back on it, Erik was shocked that she had even let him into her bed.

Why did he stay so long? Why did he feel the need to explain things to her? Why did he have to sit and tell her everything? He had not planned on sleeping with her. He had not planned on seeing her ever again once he had explained everything. But then he had bumped into her again. He had seen her in a bar, draining a brandy and he couldn't help himself from going over to her and conversing.

He smiled at the memory. He looked over to her and folded the paper in half, meticulously making sure it creased exactly at the halfway point. Standing up, he tucked it under his arm and walked over to Annalise, his hands in his pockets of his leather jacket as he went.

"I've only travelled abroad once," Annalise informed Erik, sensing that he was stood behind her. "I went with mother and father to Italy for a holiday."

"I think I have flown far too many times," Erik whispered and Annalise smiled to the ground whilst Erik moved his arm above her, his hand resting above her head as he effectively trapped her against the pane of glass.

"What happens when it is over?" Annalise dared to ask from Erik. "What will you do then?"

Erik looked to the runway then as Annalise stared at him with wonder. Her gaze was gentle as she adjusted her satchel on her shoulder and Erik struggled to look back down to her. Was it foolish to admit that he had not thought of that? Erik barely thought more than one day ahead. He had one goal in his life and that was it. He could not imagine a life beyond finding Shaw and killing him.

"I don't know," Erik finally admitted to her. "I tend not to think about that."

"You might have to," Anna shrugged to him. "Not that I want to scare you."

"Not at all," Erik teased, managing a slim smile for Anna. "I will only entertain those thoughts when I have killed him."

"I know," Annalise admitted.

She didn't particularly want Erik to kill him. She had hated it when he had killed her boss in front of her. She had been violently ill and had struggled to come to terms with what she had seen. She suspected that Erik's violent behaviour would not benefit him in the long term. She often wondered if he would feel better if he saw Shaw brought to justice instead of being murdered.

"Why do you ask?" Erik wondered from her. "Do you still have the dream of children and a coastal house?"

Anna would have gaped had she not been in public. She did move her hand to hit against his arm, but Erik captured her wrist once she had made the motion. She closed her eyes and felt herself come to lean against Erik as he looked down to her, his chin doubling as his eyes were set downwards. His chin came to rest on the top of her head.

Annalise did not want to admit that was truly in love with Erik and she did want to be with him. She had spent years pretending she wanted the opposite. She had practice lying to him. She was good at that. Admitting the truth would only hurt her. She knew that Erik would never consider settling down. She could just imagine his face if she mentioned it.

"Anna?" he whispered her name.

She didn't dare look at him.

"I can't talk about that, Anna," Erik informed her as she kept her cheek against his jumper covered chest. "I've spent my entire life waiting for this moment and I've never…normality…it just isn't me…and I don't know if it will be once this is over. I don't know if I can give you what you want."

"How do you know truly know what I want?" Anna dared to ask him, now stepping back to look at him as Erik moved his hand from her wrist to grasp her fingers inside of his. "Have you ever stopped to ask me what I want, Erik?"

"No," Erik admitted to her, dropping his newspaper onto the chairs beside them. "But I know that you don't want a man who has murdered, Anna. You deserve someone better…someone who has feelings…not me…"

"Don't you dare," Anna hissed, trying to keep silent so that they did not attract any attention. "You cannot stand here and claim that you do not have feelings. You came back, Erik. You came back on the first plane to make sure that I was safe. Is that not caring?"

Erik kept silent, looking beyond her head and out to the runway. Anna said nothing as she kept her stare intent. She refused to look away from him whilst he took his time to think about her question. He gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as Anna shook her head, snatching her hand from Erik's.

"We're not discussing this now," Anna declared. "We have a plane to catch."

Erik felt the loss of contact and Anna stormed away, moving her satchel so that it ended up over her body. Erik remained stood where he was whilst Anna went to queue to board the plane and he knew that he should join her. He was merely worried as to what he should say once they were seated next to each other. Did he admit to her that he might care for her? But was it enough? Erik looked to the ceiling and shook his head before following Annalise, his thoughts still incomprehensible.

….

A/N: I am so sorry I have not updated in a long time, but uni has now finished so hopefully I will be able to update often! Do let me know if you are still interested in the story!


	5. Chapter 5

Annalise had said nothing to Erik ever since they boarded the plane. She had been silent as the plane had been taxied down the runway and her gaze had been set on the runway out of the window. It had taken Erik a while before he dared to move his hand to hers. She looked across to him then, her dark gaze finding his face as he watched his own movements.

He detested arguing with Annalise. He hated it more than he cared to admit. He cared for her more than he dared to think about, but he was scared. Everyone he cared for ended up hurt. His mother had died because of him. Schmidt had tracked Annalise because of him. He had done nothing but people in danger. And he didn't want to do that anymore. He wanted to keep her safe. If being safe meant being away from him then that would have to suffice.

"You know that I care for you, Anna," Erik whispered to her so that no one around them could hear as the plane hurtled into the sky. Annalise said nothing, allowing Erik to wrap her fingers inside of his and press his lips against her knuckles. "But you know who I am. You know that I do not express emotions…I keep things bottled up for a good reason. You have to accept that about me."

"I accept everything about you, Erik," Annalise responded in a soft whisper. "I accept more than I should, anyway."

"And you know how grateful I am to you for that," Erik whispered back to her, his lips close to her face as he dared to kiss her forehead. "But you also know that I have never experienced normal. I don't understand what normal is."

Annalise scoffed, bowing her head and inhaling sharply. Her inhaling only caused her to sniff Erik and allowing the scent of him to intoxicate her. She closed her eyes and said nothing for a few brief moments, focusing on regaining her thoughts as she stared at the collar of his leather jacket. She could see his slightly tanned skin from underneath it. How many times had she rested her head upon his shoulder? How many times had she counted on Erik to be there when she needed him? She dare say too many times.

"You should know how I feel," Annalise whispered, wishing that she didn't have to say this on an airplane. "I love you, Erik. I love you and I have tried not to…I just…I don't want to get hurt."

Erik felt himself tense at that. He had hurt many people in his time. He had destroyed many spirits and he had seen people crumble at his feet, but he would not allow Annalise to be one of them.

"And I would never do anything to hurt you," Erik promised her, his voice harsher than he intended for it to be.

He moved quickly, his hand coming to grip her chin softly, forcing her to meet his gaze. He could see how wide her eyes were, but he was more intrigued by the fact that they glimmered with water. No one had shed tears over him in years. His mother had been the only woman to cry over him, and now here he was. He did not deserve Annalise or her love. She was a good woman. She deserved so much better than him. But Erik wanted to be selfish. He didn't want to see her with anyone else. He often told her that it would not bother him, but he knew that he was lying. He was trying to convince himself. He was failing miserably now.

"I promise you, Anna," Erik spoke in a hushed tone as an air-hostess passed them by and ignored their intimate conversation. "Okay? I promise that I shall never do anything to harm you."

Moving her hand on top of his, Annalise managed to give him a small smile before moving to tuck her head against his shoulder, her arms moving around his waist as she closed her eyes. She hated how pathetic she was in Erik's presence. She detested the fact that she felt so needy, but she could not help herself. She had never felt like this before and she didn't want to let that feeling disappear.

…

"So what happens now?"

Annalise found herself clinging to Erik's hand as they stood outside of the CIA. She had found herself sleeping for the majority of the journey, Erik's arm wrapped around her shoulders as she nestled closely to him. He had occasionally dropped his cheek to rest on the top of her head, but he knew that he had to stay awake and alert. He refused to find himself at the mercy of Schmidt again.

"We go in and see what has happened in the couple of days I have been gone. I left Charles to find some mutants."

Anna nodded, recalling what Erik had told her on the way there. She had been told of Charles; the recent Oxford graduate who just so happened to be telepath. She also remembered Erik telling her of a blonde sister called Raven who had the power to shape-shift. Anna found herself pinching herself during some aspects of their conversation. She refused to believe that all of this was real, but she shouldn't be too shocked. She knew what Erik could do.

"And what do you intend to do with these recruits?" Annalise asked of Erik.

"Ask them to help us go against Schmidt," Erik told her and she almost scoffed at that. "We cannot defeat him alone and we know that these mutants would be good allies to have…if they decided to join us, that it."

"I guess you'll find out soon enough," Annalise whispered as Erik held the door open for her.

She stood by reception with Erik as he removed his sunglasses from his eyes and dropped them into his pocket. She watched the receptionist smile to him, the gesture seemingly over-sweet. Annalise said nothing about, knowing how women fawned over Erik. She had seen it herself the odd times they had been out together. She wasn't one to get jealous, yet she found herself glaring every time someone so much as smiled at Erik in a flirtatious manner.

"Erik!"

Turning on his heel, Erik looked behind to see a shorter man walk towards him. He gave a small smirk as he recognised him instantly and Annalise did her best to deduce who it was. She had an idea, but she didn't want to get it wrong. He clasped Erik's upper arm and gave him a genuine smile as he nodded his head with vigour.

He was a shorter man than Erik with dark hair that sat on top of his head and hung neatly down his neck. His eyes were wide and light and his skin was pale. His lips were in a wide smile and he was dressed in an impeccable grey suit with a matching purple shirt to go with it. Annalise only stared at him when he dared to look at her.

"And this must be Annalise?" he checked with Erik.

Annalise felt Erik's hand on the small of her back as she held her hand out towards the man. "Annalise, this is Charles. Charles, this is Annalise."

"It is so good to meet you," Charles declared and Annalise nodded with a small smile back to him.

"And you."

"I am so glad that Erik managed to find you. You can only imagine how worried he was when he knew you may be in danger. It was quite touching…tell me…does he intend to propose any time soon?"

Annalise scoffed at that, her brow arching as she dared to look up to Erik, wondering what he had told Charles about her. Erik looked calm as he chewed on the piece of gum he had been keeping in the corner of his mouth. She felt her mouth gape as Erik ran his hand up and down the small of her back in what she assumed was supposed to be a comforting motion. Remaining silent, she allowed Erik to do the talking.

"We're not together in that sense," Erik informed Charles. "Annalise is a good friend of mine…more than a friend…but we have no labels."

Charles looked confuse for a few moments, but he said nothing on the matter. Annalise was glad that he didn't push for any more information. She didn't know how he would cope if he truly knew what they were. Hell, even Annalise wasn't sure how she would cope. A label truly was not required for what her and Erik were.

"Well, I saw how worried he was," Charles decided to say. "Well, this is very awkward. I asked Agent MacTaggert to place you two in the same bedroom. Do you want me to see if I can get her to change that?"

"No," Annalise was the one to answer. "I don't mind sharing with Erik. It is no trouble…besides…if he was that worried then he would like to keep his eye on me, no doubt."

Erik knew that she was trying to tease him, but it was no teasing matter. She had another thing coming if she thought that she was being let out of his sight. Erik was always very good at keeping his eye on things, and he would make sure that happened with Anna.

"Excellent," Charles declared with glee. "Well, I was just about to go and check on the others. Raven has made dinner tonight. I imagine there shall be plenty for everyone if you would care to join us?"

"We would love to," Annalise said before Erik had the chance to open his mouth.

He looked down to her with amusement as she smiled back up to him, nodding her head with vigour and urging for him to accept. Annalise didn't want to be rude. She was only staying here for a few days, or so she hoped. Whilst all she really wanted to do was climb into bed, she knew how impractical that would be. Not to mention rude.

"Splendid," Charles declared. "I shall allow Erik to take your case and show you to your room. No doubt you will want to freshen up after the long journey here."

"Thank you," Annalise nodded, forgetting that Erik was still lugging her suitcase behind his body.

He stopped chewing his gum for a moment and continued to give Charles that smirk which had occupied his face for the entire conversation. "We'll see you in a while then," Erik declared.

Annalise smiled to him before she felt Erik's arm extend around her and wrap around her waist. She bumped her hip against his side as he smiled at her and shook his head slowly.

"What do you find so entertaining?" Annalise wondered.

She could feel people staring at them as they passed by, whispering words such as 'mutant' and 'freak'. Annalise struggled to understand why they were being so cruel. She suspected it was because they didn't understand what was happening. People tended to be scared of what they didn't understand. She remembered how she felt the first time Erik had told her what he was. She had wanted to run, but he had stopped her. He had held her wrists and refused to let her runaway. It had been terrifying, but it had taken her time to realise that he was no monster. He had been through a lot in his life. He had done bad things, but she knew he had a good heart.

"You," Erik responded to her question and she looked up to him as they continued down the white washed corridors. "I can tell that you're nervous, Anna. You don't hide it very well."

Annalise pursed her lips at him as she shook her head back and forth, bumping her arm again Erik's as she looked down to the ground and tucked her hair behind her ears. Annalise knew that she had acted rather strange, but she was nervous. This entire situation unnerved her.

"I don't think that I can hide it," Annalise whispered to Erik. "I am scared…more scared than I care to admit, anyway."

"You don't have to be scared," Erik promised her, digging into his leather jacket pocket and pulling out a shining silver key as they came to the end of a long corridor. He placed the key into the lock and turned it quickly, pushing the door open.

Annalise stepped in front of him as Erik moved behind her and she looked around the large bedroom. She was shocked that such a room existed in the CIA, but she said nothing. A double bed sat against the wall whilst a large wooden wardrobe stood in the corner. Another door led into a simple en-suite bathroom that held just a shower, sink and toilet. It was clean, but it was sparse and cold.

"And this is where we will be living?"

"Not for long," Erik promised her. "We will find Schmidt and we…well…you will go back to England and back to normality. I promise."

Annalise felt Erik wrap his arms around her waist and rest his chin on the top of her head. Annalise felt herself smile, her hands moving to wrap against his fingers as his lips found her neck and she leaned back against his chest. She closed her eyes for a moment as Erik's nose continued to inhale against her skin. She said nothing, preferring the silence for a few moments as Erik's warm body engulfed hers.

"Do people really know you?" Annalise dared to wonder from him. "You act so cold…so emotionless…"

"No one really knows me," Erik told her. "Even I don't know who I truly am."

"Yes, you do," Annalise spoke to him. "Anyway, as much as I would love to stay here, we did promise Charles that we would meet him."

"Are you prepared to meet everyone in that room?" Erik said, trying to scare her as she turned in his grip and rested her hands on his shoulders.

She cocked a brow and tilted her head. "Are you trying to scare me?" she wondered from him.

Erik chuckled and bent down to press his lips against hers for a second. "You were the one who decided to accept his offer. I would much prefer to stay in here alone with you."

"Stop it," Annalise said, unable to stop her smile on her face. "Come on, Erik. We have to go."

Erik smiled again and nodded at her. "As you say."

Annalise followed Erik out of the room, looking behind her again as she did so. She scanned the room, but not once did she notice the red creature that loitered right in the corner of the bedroom.

…..

A/N: Thank you to everyone who is still reading this story! I hope that you will let me know what you think so far!


	6. Chapter 6

"So how many mutants are there?"

Erik was walking beside Annalise with his hand held inside of hers as they passed by CIA agents on the way to the recreational room where the fellow mutants were being held. They walked inside a small corridor and Erik allowed Annalise to go in front of him, moving her hand in the air to keep hold of her fingers as she bent her arm over her shoulder.

Tossing her head behind her shoulder, she waited for Erik to answer her question whilst he watched her with intrigue. His face was sombre as he continued to stare at Anna and she gave him a small smile. What was it that he was feeling? Erik had never felt this way before and he had never wanted to feel this way. He had himself and no one else. That was the way he enjoyed it. He had always been scared to open up to anyone.

He had known Annalise for years and he had never felt this way about her. He cared for her enough to keep coming back to her, but that was all that it had been. But now, Erik felt a slight amount of guilt as he watched her. Had he been using her all those years? Had he hurt her by using her?

He didn't know, but he did know that he was struggling to ignore the feeling in his stomach.

"Erik," Annalise tried to gain his attention as she noted that he was lost in his thoughts. "Are you listening to me?"

"Of course I am," Erik lied, recalling the previous question she had just been asked him. "At this moment in time, Charles has recruited only one mutant. She is called Angel and has wings. I believe that he intends to ask to help him find the others."

"I see," Annalise responded. "And how long do you think that will take?"

"A while," Erik admitted to Annalise. "Anyway, you needn't worry. I shall make sure that I am not gone long."

Taking a deep breath as Erik pushed a door open and allowed her through first, Annalise looked behind for a brief moment. "Do you honestly believe that Schmidt will try to hurt me? I am…I mean…so far as he knows I was nothing but your bed warmer-"

"-Don't," Erik interrupted her.

"But I was," Annalise told him. "You told me that before you left me."

"Well, I was wrong," Erik mumbled. "I don't want to think about you like that, Anna. I never went back for my previous…partners…not like I did for you. I think that must tell me something"

"Previous partners?" Annalise wondered from him.

Erik shrugged his shoulders and moved his arm to wrap around her waist as she moved her own arm around his. Resting her head on his shoulder, she did her best not to seem too bothered by the words she was hearing from him.

"There were a few," Erik informed Annalise. "Obviously that was before I met you. Since then there has been no one else…even though you were sometimes thousands of miles away from me."

Rolling her eyes, Annalise tried to feel comforted by his words. In a way she was. She spent her ever day waking up and wondering if Erik would visit her that night. She knew that it was pathetic and she wished that she could change. Yet in some warped sense, Erik felt the same as she did. He felt as though he couldn't move on from her. Obviously he had thought of trying, just like she had done, but he had been unable to go through with it. Annalise couldn't help but feel relieved.

"And now?" Annalise dared to ask him.

Erik shrugged as he turned them around another corner. He ignored the stares of the CIA agents as he went. He didn't care what they whispered about or what they had to say about him. If he wanted to be this close to Annalise then he would be. He didn't need anyone to contradict him or tell him to act otherwise.

"Now we defeat Schmidt," Erik informed her. "And then we discuss what shall happen…but only then, Annalise. "

"As you say," Annalise whispered to him. "Anyway, we should maybe stop this."

"Stop what?" Erik asked her back.

Annalise had thought that it was obvious, but he apparently needed it spelling out for him. "Acting like this," she said, motioning between them and stepping out of his grip as she heard a loud laugh from behind a double white door. "You told Charles that we were just friends…this doesn't look like that…"

"Are you embarrassed by me?" Erik asked her, ignoring another loud laugh from behind the door. He knew exactly what fun they were having in there. They didn't understand the extent of the danger they were in like Erik did.

"Of course not," Annalise responded. "You should know that. I just don't want to make things complicated…confusing…especially if they don't entirely know about me."

Arching his brow, Erik moved closer towards her and placed his fingers on her neck, gently wrapping them there as he bent closer towards her, his forehead pressed against hers.

"Do you think that I care what people say? Or that I will answer their questions if I don't want to?"

Annalise scoffed and recalled the time she had been out to dinner with Erik. When he came by her flat he rarely took her out, but he was in a good mood that night. He had ignored a man who had sat by them and asked him questions about what it was he did for a living or whether he was keeping Annalise happy. Erik had taken her by the hand and led her away to request another table where the man was not near them.

"I know that you don't care what people think," Annalise smiled softly and Erik slowly moved towards her, his lips pressing against hers slowly as he briefly kissed her, pulling away before she could move closer to him.

"Then I shall do as I damn well please," Erik responded.

He kept hold of her hand as he led her into the recreation room and she chewed on her bottom lip before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear to keep it from her face.

Looking around the room, she saw multiple black leather sofas and a small kitchenette where a tall, blonde girl stood, stirring a sauce in a saucepan. Annalise sniffed and couldn't help but think how nice the food smelt. A small table was set up in the middle of the room with six chairs set up. A large window sat at both ends of the room and pinball machines lined the walls.

"Erik," Charles's voice greeted and Annalise noted how they were all sat around the table.

There was a tall, young boy with a mop of dark hair. He wore a red sweater with a white shirt and large glasses sat on his face. He had a dorky smile on his features as he watched the blonde girl in the kitchen as she did her best to cook everything and not make a mess of dinner. A small woman with long black hair also sat at the table, her arms folded and a leather jacket adorning her body. She was looking to them with wonder and Annalise could tell that she was maybe nervous about meeting them. Not that Annalise could blame her.

"Erik, Annalise, this is Angel, she is the new recruit," Charles greeted, motioning his hands as everyone said their hellos.

The tall blonde girl began to bring dishes to the table, her gaze set on the boy as she did so for a few brief moments. "So this is Erik's girlfriend?" the blonde girl wondered as Erik pulled out a chair for Annalise to sit on.

"Well…I don't entirely know…Annalise, this is Raven: she is my sister. Raven, Annalise is Erik's friend," Charles said, sensing the awkward tension as Erik moved to sit next to Anna.

"And this is Hank," Charles added on.

"Pleasure to meet you," Hank nodded softly and Annalise gave him a small smile with a polite nod.

"Likewise," Raven spoke and sat in between her brother and Hank at the round table once she had finished placing bowls of spaghetti Bolognese in front of people. "So Charles tells us that Shaw threatened you too? Are you like us? Do you have any mutant powers?"

Annalise felt Erik move a hand to her knee, almost as though he was trying to keep her from getting nervous.

"Well, I didn't know that Shaw had threatened me," Annalise explained. "But I have met him…just a couple of times…but I am not like any of you. I have no special gift…or mutant powers. I'm just a plain, boring human."

"I doubt that," Charles shook his head. "Anyway, thank you for dinner, Raven. I am certain that it shall taste splendid."

"It does look delicious," Hank declared and Annalise picked up her fork and began to twirl the spaghetti onto it.

Everyone slowly began to eat as Erik took a sip of his water, looking to Annalise as she slurped up some spaghetti and moved a hand to her chin to stop herself from making a mess. He watched her before picking up his own fork to eat. He kept his hand on her knee as he took his first bite and shrugged out of the leather jacket he wore once he felt himself grow warm.

"And you live in England?" Charles asked of Annalise.

"London," she answered. "I take it you are from England too."

"Is the accent that prominent?" Charles dared to wonder. "Originally I am from Westchester near New York, but I moved to England to study at Oxford. I suppose I have spent the majority of my time in England however."

"Well, Oxford is a lovely place," Annalise informed him. "My father was educated there and he has some friends who still love there. I remember visiting them when I was younger. It was a nice change to London."

"It is lovely," Charles nodded.

Raven looked between Erik and Annalise, noting how he had his hand on her knee underneath the table. She didn't care if Erik was a private person; she was going to ask him this question regardless. "So how did you two meet?"

Cocking her head to the side, Annalise looked to Erik as he turned his stare onto Raven. He doubted anyone wanted to hear that story.

"I work at an insurance company," Annalise decided to speak as Erik looked to her, wondering what tale she would spin. "Erik came in one day about his insurance and I was behind reception…he just…well…he asked if I would like to join him for lunch one day and I agreed. We haven't had an entirely stable relationship due to Erik's…travelling…but he always takes me for lunch whenever he visits London."

Charles gave a thoughtful nod, a knowing smile on his face as Raven tried to work out whether she was hearing the truth or not. Hank and Angel were mute as they continued to eat and Annalise did her best not to laugh as she realised the lie of her story.

She glanced over to Erik who returned her knowing smile. Giving her knee a quick squeeze, he picked his fork up and spun more pasta around it.

"That sounds about right," he agreed with Annalise.

The rest of the meal was eaten in complete silence as Annalise did her best to engage with the people sat around her. She didn't want to admit how unnerved she truly was. She did her best to remain calm and collected, keeping herself quiet and only speaking when spoken to. She had just met these people, yet she said more than Erik did. He would only speak every so often, but he seemed intent on sitting, eating and often glancing at Annalise.

They finally excused themselves once Anna had helped Raven to finish washing the cutlery and crockery. Erik was stood in the corner and speaking with Charles about what their final plan of action should be. Annalise had been silent, as she finished conversing with Raven and waited for Erik to return with her back to their bedroom. She rocked back and forth on her heels before the metal bender finished his conversation with Charles.

"Ready?" Erik asked of her.

Nodding, Anna took no time in allowing her hand to meet with his. She couldn't help but think how natural it felt in comparison to normal. She had never held hands with him like that. They had never been in sync to reach for each other at the same time. She couldn't quite understand what had changed.

"They were lovely," Annalise informed Erik as they wandered back down the corridors that seemed quieter than before. "Raven is actually quite entertaining, and she obviously has a liking for Hank."

"I think the entire table managed to work that one out," Erik responded dryly. "And the entire table seem to think that we are an item."

Annalise shrugged. "You didn't exactly discourage them."

"Neither did you," Erik replied.

"Why should I?" Annalise wondered with a slim smile. "I think we are pretty much acting like a couple."

"Do normal couples tend to hole themselves up in the CIA for fear of death?"

Annalise shrugged. "I guess we've never been normal. Anyway, we have other things to worry about. We can discuss what this is when this entire ordeal is over. As much as I would love to discuss it now…there is too much at stake."

Erik gave her hand a quick squeeze and they finished the rest of the walk in silence back to his bedroom. Erik pulled the key from his pocket once more, opening the door as he moved his hand to the small of Annalise's back to allow her in first. She looked up to him with that docile smile she wore and kept her stare on him.

It was only when the voice spoke from by the curtains did Annalise snap around.

"I take it a second date is off the cards then, Anna?"

….

A/N: I have gone slightly AU with this story to make it a bit different. Anyway, thank you so much to the followers and people who favourite this story. I would love to know what you think and what you would like to see happen!


	7. Chapter 7

Erik was faster than Annalise thought he would be. As soon as he heard the voice in the room he moved in front of Annalise, his arm protectively moving behind his body as Anna took a hold of it. Her fingers wrapped around his arms and Erik pressed her against the closed door, her front pressed tightly against his back. She was silent as she felt Erik's muscles clench underneath her grip.

"What are you doing here?" Erik demanded from the man, his jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed.

"I was in the area and I thought that I would just pop by," he informed the couple with a small smirk playing on his features. "You can imagine my shock to find you here, Annalise. I thought that there was no one special in your life?"

Annalise felt anger surge through her body as she heard him. It was bad enough that he had played her for a fool once. She would make sure that never happened again. She refused to be some pawn in his game. She deserved better than that.

"You bastard," Annalise hissed, trying to move past Erik as he kept his arm firmly behind his body to stop her from moving past him. "Who do you think you are? I never asked for this trouble! I never wanted to get involved."

Erik did his best to restrain Annalise, shocked that she had so much anger wielded inside of her. She was doing her best to push by him, but she was failing miserably. He was not moving and Schmidt remained stood by the corner, his hands behind his back as he watched the couple.

"I admit that I did feel slightly bad," he informed her with a grin. "You did look as though you would be good fun…but you were obviously moping and I knew why. You only confirmed my belief when Erik came to fetch you…you are obviously in love."

Anna said nothing on that matter, preferring not to discuss their romance in public. Besides, Annalise had never said that she loved Erik to Schmidt. She had said nothing of him and he knew nothing of their relationship. She did her best to stand her ground as Erik moved one hand in front of his body.

Schmidt was quicker than he had expected, moving with haste and clicking his fingers. Erik startled as soon as he made the motion and Annalise continued to look puzzled. It was in that brief moment when the world seemed to stand still. A sudden red puff of smoke entered the room and Annalise stumbled backwards, her back hitting the closed door.

A red mutant stood in the doorway, a smirk on his face as he watched her and Erik with intrigue. A woman dressed in white stood next to him, her eyes glowering and her gaze set entirely on Erik. It was only as her squint seemed to increase did Erik collapse to the ground, his hands moving to his head as he screamed in pain.

Dropping to the floor, Annalise moved her hands to Erik's shoulders, trying to shake him out of whatever was happening to him.

"She is a telepath," Shaw decreed to Annalise as the woman did her best to pull Erik out of the daze he seemed to be stuck in. "She can make people see whatever she wants them to see. It is very clever. Emma, darling, why don't you tell dear Annalise what you are showing him?"

Annalise looked across to Emma, the colour draining from her face as she struggled to remain coherent. Annalise couldn't deny that she felt sick. Her stomach was churning and her head was aching more than she cared to admit. She was struggling to remain coherent as Erik's hand found her wrist and he squeezed it tighter than she cared to admit. She looked back to Erik, sensing that he was trying to fight whatever Emma was showing him.

"Her mangled body," Emma declared. "He isn't too thrilled about it…so sweet…you should see his memories. He is very tender with her."

"Stop it!" Annalise roared as soon as Erik suffered and a large shriek echoed throughout the room. "Leave him alone now!"

Shaw seemed to laugh at hearing that. He took a moment to glance over to Erik before he nodded once. Emma's eyes widened and her grip over Erik seemed to die down. The metal bender collapsed, his hands outstretched to stop him from falling to the floor. Annalise moved her hands around his shoulders, helping him to sit up straight as his form seemed to engulf hers once she supported most of his weight.

"Now you can see, Erik," Shaw declared with his outstretched hands. " You can see the power which I possess…which I will use if you carry on coming after me. It will not work."

Erik coughed slowly and Annalise continued to watch as Shaw looked to her, the smug smirk still sitting on his face as he did so. She cringed as she saw him, wondering what it was he wanted from her. He was looking at her with such knowing that Annalise wondered what he was thinking.

"And you know that we are the more evolved humans," Shaw declared. "Your girlfriend over there will only placate you for so long. We are not so different, Erik."

"You are nothing like him," Annalise was the one to snarl before Erik could say anything. "He is a better man than you will ever be."

Shaw chuckled at hearing that and Erik looked to Annalise with those quizzing eyes she knew all too well.

"We shall see about that," Shaw declared. "Well, I am very glad that I came here, but I must leave. Consider this a final warning."

Erik only continued to glower as his mother's murderer vanished as quickly as he had appeared. His rage overwhelmed his body as he made a move to stand up, his hand moving in front of him. Annalise could only remain knelt on the floor as Erik allowed his anger to consume him, everything metal in the room lifting into the air and dropping. She shrieked as the bed broke on the floor on its descent and Erik destroyed lights.

Moving her hands over her head as the glass chandelier above them collapsed and fell into shards over her body. Erik's anger got the best of him and Annalise didn't know if she could make him stop. She continued to shake with fear as Erik finally stopped and looked down to her, unaware of the damage he had caused until he was bent over, panting for breath.

"Anna," he whispered to her and she finally moved her hands from her head to look up to Erik.

"Are you finished?"

Annalise didn't mean to sound quite so snappy, but Erik had basically just thrown a chandelier down onto her head. She slowly made a move to stand, Erik's hand moving to help her up as his fingers wrapped around her arm to steady her on her feet. She did her best not to collapse again as her knees seemed to feel weak underneath her weight.

"I'm sorry," Erik informed her. "I didn't mean to…well…do that…you know that."

"I know." Annalise said in a small voice as Erik moved his hand to her cheek, making sure that he had not hurt her at all.

"I should go and inform Charles of what just happened," Erik declared. "No doubt that we shall be seeing more of Schmidt in the future. If he thinks that I intend to let him get away with this then he is sadly mistaken."

…..

Annalise sat on the edge of the sofa in the quiet common room. Everyone had gone since Erik had broken the news of what had happened. They were securing the perimeter to make sure that Schmidt had gone for good. Annalise was alone, but Erik had assured her that the guards on duty would not let anyone into the common room.

She had nodded and allowed for Erik to kiss the top of her head tenderly before he left her alone. All Annalise could think about was Schmidt's words from earlier. Did Erik consider her to be less evolved? Did he think like that? Annalise didn't want to believe that he did, but she had no idea what to believe if she had to tell the truth. She was silent and continued to stare outside the window to the statue in the courtyard.

It was only then when she noted Erik walking beside Charles, both men seemingly embroiled in a harsh conversation. She had seen that look on Erik's face before when he was making an argument. His face contorted and his gaze was harsher than Annalise cared to see it. Charles simply looked flustered as his hands raked through his black hair to push it from his face.

Annalise continued to watch them until they were out of sight. She wondered what they were talking about, but the door to the common room soon pushed open, hitting the wall behind it. Turning her head over her shoulder, Erik stood there, chewing gum in his mouth.

"Annalise," he said her name in a lower voice than usual.

Annalise stood up and moved closer towards Erik. She made no move to take his hand and he didn't bother to take hold of her hand either. She ran her hand up and down her arm as she followed him back to a different room, staying a couple of paces behind him. What had happened? How had he gone from someone who was so warm to someone so cold in the space of a few hours?

"I'm going out for a while," Erik informed her, still unable to look her in the eye as he showed her their new bedroom. "I don't know when I will be back."

"Where are you going?" Annalise dared to ask from him.

"Just out," he responded, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. "Don't wait up for me."

Annalise had no time to call after him and question him further for he had ran off. She bit down on her bottom lip and watched him go. She knew that it was ridiculous, but she felt tears well in her eyes. She blinked them back, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as she went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Something had happened to Erik.

….

Sitting in the bar just away from the CIA base, Erik ordered himself another drink with a tip of his empty glass. He looked around the bar, contemplating what he truly was doing there. He sighed as another glass of whiskey was placed in front of him. He was thinking of what Schmidt had said. His words still haunted Erik.

Erik knew that they were the more evolved humans. He had seen just how petty humans were from the CIA. They were not all good. They did not support the mutants because they did not understand them, and Erik doubted they ever would understand. Yet, there was no point in explaining to them. They thought that they knew best.

Charles was blinkered. Erik had argued with him how mutants would always be the more evolved species and that not all humans were good. And then Charles had thrown a statement back in Erik's face which he could not argue with: if he felt that way then why was he doing all he could to protect a mutant? Erik had looked shocked and had tried to deny his feelings, but he couldn't. Annalise was a human. She was a human Erik cared for very much. She understood him. But not everyone was like Annalise. The more Erik thought about it the more he realised hat no one was like Annalise. She was truly unique.

But he had been unable to look at her. He kept on thinking of her dead, mangled body at his feet. He kept on thinking about how she was nothing like him. Did she pretend to understand him? Did she truly know how he felt? No, she didn't, but Erik could not deny that she cared for him.

It scared Erik more than he cared to admit. He knew that he had to think further on things, but he closed his eyes and contemplated what it was he wanted that evening. Did he want to dwell on his argument with Charles? Did he want to go back and leave Annalise alone? Did he want to be that shallow? No. What he wanted was to go and crawl back into bed beside her. He wanted to hold her to him.

Draining his whiskey, he stood up and tossed his coat over his shoulder before leaving the bar to return back to the only woman he knew would be a constant in his life.

….

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who is reading this! I do hope that you will review and let me know what you think thus far!


	8. Chapter 8

Annalise had never felt as sick as she did that night. She had returned to her bedroom and changed into a fresh pair of pyjamas after showering. She had sat on the bed, cross-legged as she ran a fresh towel through her hair in a feeble attempt to try the tresses. Every now and then she would glance to the door, swearing that she heard footsteps approach. Shaking her head when the clock struck eleven, she slipped into the duvet and rested her head on the pillow, allowing for sleep to claim her.

It took her longer than she had thought to drift off, and only when she thought that sleep her truly found her did she hear the door open. Annalise did not bother to sit up and look, for she knew that it would be Erik. She felt the bed dip down and the familiar scent of his leather jacket wafted into her nose. Closing her eyes, she pretended to sleep as she heard him toss his shoes off to the side, followed by the rest of his clothing.

Keeping her breathing shallow, she remained as still as possible when he decided to push the covers back from her for a brief second to slip his body next to hers. Annalise remained mute before she felt an arm wrap around her waist and his chest press flush against her back. He said nothing, only took to breathing against her neck, his warm breath doing nothing to keep her from pretending to be asleep.

Both of them remained silent, Annalise knowing full well that she had no energy to pick a fight with Erik. She wanted answers from him. She wanted to know why he had treated her the way he had. She had been upset and angry, and she knew that if she had any sense of dignity then she would push him from her and demand an answer right there and then. But she didn't. She wanted Erik more than she cared to admit and it made her feel pathetic and weak. She decided not to move, preferring to feel his warmth for the rest of the night than to yell at him. She would do that in the morning.

…

Annalise was gone by the time Erik awoke, the sheets pooling at his bare waist as he looked around for her, wondering where she could have disappeared to. Raking a hand through his short hair, he yawned and moved from the bed. He took to the shower quickly and changed into some clean clothes, throwing his white polo shirt on over a pair of brown trousers. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he began the search for Anna.

He walked through the corridors until he came to the recreation room. He could hear laughter and talking from behind the doors, but he was unable to identify whose voices they were. Pushing the door open, Erik noted Annalise was sat next to Raven whilst Charles sat across from them. Annalise had her back to Erik as he moved into the room, giving a brusque nod over to Charles as he moved a hand to Annalise's shoulder.

She looked up, turning her head to the side so that she could glance over to him. Erik noted some form of determination in her stare and her lips were tightly pursed.

"Morning," Erik managed to whisper to her, bending down to press his lips quickly to hers, but she turned away, choosing to allow his lips to linger on her cheek as she looked down to her breakfast.

Charles looked at the exchange as Raven continued to tuck into her pancakes, sipping at her orange juice before shrugging over to her brother. Coughing once, Charles examined Erik as he took the seat at the head of the table, just to Annalise's right. He perched on the edge of it, his arm resting on the wooden surface as his gaze remained intense on the British girl.

"I was just informing Annalise of our latest recruit," Charles declared, trying to gain Erik's attention.

It seemed to work, for the metal bender begrudgingly looked to Charles as Annalise went back to her cereal. Arching a brow, Erik picked up a slice of toast from the middle of the table and dropped it on his plate.

"And who would this be?" Erik decided to ask.

"His name is Alex." Charles declared. "I found him in solitary confinement last night. He has been living right under our noses and we never knew it. Anyway, I am off to search for a young boy later today…I believe he is on a school field trip to an aquarium this afternoon if you would like to join me?"

"I don't see why not," Erik mumbled, picking up the butter to spread on his toast.

Annalise finished with her cereal and dropped her spoon into the bowl, wiping her lips with her napkin before pushing her chair out. She glanced over to Charles and Raven, managing a small smile at them as she stood.

"I'm going to head outside for a bit," she declared. "I will speak with you later."

"Lovely day for it," Charles beamed to her whilst Raven glowered over to Erik, knowing full well that Annalise was in an odd mood due to him and something he had done.

Erik could feel the two of them watching him; one with anger and one with a lack of understanding. He looked between them before sighing loudly and moving, catching the door as it swung shut. He finished chewing on his toast and watched as Annalise moved from the base. She was wandering the stretch of grass between the recreation room and cerebro with her arms folded over her waist and her gaze set to the ground.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," Erik warned her.

He saw her startle as she turned to look at him, wondering what he had come to say to her as she stood still. She patiently waited for him to speak something else, but he was intent on staring to the sky.

"And you shouldn't treat me like shit and come crawling back to me without any apologise," Annalise said, unable to hold her tongue.

Erik looked to her, his brow arched in what looked like shock. Annalise said nothing to him for a moment before she shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head, waiting for him to come up with some excuse for his behaviour.

"I know," Erik managed to agree with her. "I acted…I was out of order. I can see that now, Annalise."

"Why?" Annalise asked from him. "What have I done to you? Do you know how I felt? You have never spoken to me…never looked at me like that…so cold…"

"And I never meant to hurt you," Erik promised her, moving his hands to her shoulders as she struggled to look him in the eye. "I was thinking and I had argued with Charles. I…there is so much going on…"

"Like what?" Annalise demanded from him. She wanted to know everything. She needed to know everything and know why he had acted like he had. She still found it unacceptable. "Is it Shaw? You can talk to me if it is, Erik. I know about him. I understand, but I don't want you to take your anger out on me!"

Erik dropped her shoulders from his hands and moved his hands to his head, turning slightly on the spot as he did so. He shrugged his shoulders to her, pointing to his chest.

"I am what I am, Annalise," Erik informed her. "I will always be different. I will always be odd to people…humans will always see me that way and I cannot change it. They do not understand that mutants like me are more evolved…we are not freaks."

Annalise wondered where this was coming from. Was he only saying this because Shaw had said it yesterday? Had he managed to get into his head? Annalise squinted as Erik finally looked back to her, his teeth bared as he ground them together.

Annalise took a sharp breath. "And you know who thinks like that?" Annalise wondered from him. "Shaw. Do you really want to be associated with Shaw, Erik?"

"No," Erik hissed. "You should know that."

"Then don't listen to his words," Annalise demanded. "Never listen to what he has to say. Do you understand me, Erik? I never want to hear you speak like him."

"But what if he has a point?" Erik dared to ask.

It was then when Annalise moved to stand toe to toe with Erik. She knew that she was not physically imposing, but she would do what she could to stop him from speaking as he was. She did not care for it.

"Then go and join him," Annalise said, pushing at Erik's chest. "Go and listen to him some more if you want to. What is it, Erik? You think that you are more evolved? You think that you are better than me?"

"Of course not," Erik responded and quickly moved to take hold her wrist before she could shove him anymore. "I know you, Annalise."

"But I am a human," she said. "If you want to categorise us all together then go ahead. I'll categorise all mutants the same…you and Charles…the same as Shaw. Do you not see, Erik? Do you not understand how hateful you can become if you keep thinking everyone who is not like you is like the asses in the CIA?"

Erik remained silent and Annalise pulled her wrist from his grip. She shrugged her shoulders to him and wondered if he had anything to say in response to her. Instead he chose to look to the ground, taking in her words as she took in his. It was only after she realised that he had nothing to say to her did she move past him, her shoulder hitting against his as she went.

"You're blinded," Erik called after her. "You are in a minority who accept us, Annalise. You know that."

"And you seem to be in a minority who decide to hate humans," Annalise shrugged. "But I'm done, Erik. I'm not arguing with you over this…if you think that you're better than me then so be it. I'll leave you to be better. "

Erik watched as she walked away from him. He chewed down on the inside of his cheek and his tongue. He should shout after her. He should tell her that was not how he felt. She had to know that. He cared for her. She accepted him. Why could she not see that others would not?

"I don't want you to go," Erik shouted and she stood still, sighing heavily as she turned back to look at him with an expectant arch of her brow. "Annalise, I don't want you to leave me."

"Then what do you want from me?" Annalise wondered. "Do you want me to tell you that you're right? I can't do that, Erik. I can't lie to you."

"I don't want you to lie to me," Erik shook his head back and forth, finally coming to stand before her as he noted her eyes widening and fill with water. "I…Christ, Annalise…you're the only woman who can infuriate me and cause me so much happiness."

Annalise gulped and shrugged her shoulders. "Then is that not enough?" she pleaded with him as his hand moved to her cheek, her own hand moving to cover it. "Let it be enough, Erik. Don't have these thoughts…just come with me…be with me…just us two…please."

Inhaling sharply, Erik wondered if she knew what she was asking from him. Erik's entire life had been built on looking for Schmidt. It had been built on trying to find him and killing anyone he knew. Erik didn't know normality. Normality scared him more than he cared to admit at that moment in time.

"I…" Erik struggled for words. How could he promise her that? He could only promise her one thing. "You're the one thing which keeps me sane," Erik told her. "I sat in a bar last night and I came back to you. You're the only constant in my life, Anna…despite everything…you have always been there. I've never had that…I don't understand it."

Annalise could sense that this was as emotional as Erik got. She knew that it would be difficult to get him to open up more to her, and so she would take it. She would take this and wait for him. She would always be there so long as he allowed her to be and didn't push her away. She just knew that he had to stop thinking the way he did. It would ruin him, and her.

Moving to wrap her arms around his neck, she placed her head in the crook of his shoulder before sighing lowly and wondering if this would ever be enough for him. She prayed it would be.


	9. Chapter 9

"You have to be kidding me."

Annalise had snapped out loud as soon as Erik had told her the plan. She had been sat with Raven for the afternoon, both girls laughing and joking about ridiculous things that had happened in their past. Annalise hated to admit that she had forgotten about everything for a time. She had forgotten how she was at the CIA and how Erik was in the middle of thinking dangerously about the entire human rice. It was nice just to exist with no worries for a couple of hours.

All of that had changed when Erik came into the room, dropping his hand to Annalise's shoulder to gain her attention. She moved her head over her shoulder as Raven stared up to the metal bender, not entirely sure if she trusted him as of yet. There was something about him she couldn't place her finger on yet.

Erik had whispered in her ear that he needed to speak with her. She had made a move to stand up, allowing Erik to place his hand on the small of her back to lead her to the courtyard outside. He had taken a seat on the bench, leaning forwards and placing his hands together as Annalise remained sat up straight, her fingers curled around the wood of the bench as she waited for Erik to tell her what was happening. It was only then when he told her that he was leaving. He was flying to Russia that evening.

"Anna," Erik whispered her name.

"No," Annalise shook her head. "How can you fly out to Russia and expect me to stay here alone?"

"You are in a military base," Erik informed her, turning his head to the side to look at her as his shoulders moved up and down ruefully. "No danger will come to you whilst I'm gone."

"Do you think that anything can protect us here?" Anna scoffed. "I have seen what Shaw can do, but I don't care about me. I care about you, Erik…if you come face to face with Shaw…"

Anna trailed off; unable to comprehend what her mind was thinking. She was confused. She wanted to know what would happen in Russia. She didn't dare think of what would happen if Shaw saw Erik again. Annalise had witnessed Erik's powers first hand. She had seen how strong he could be when he was angry, but she knew that he might be no match against Shaw.

"Anna," Erik whispered her name, sounding almost weary as he moved his hand to her cheek. "You need to stop worrying about me. Do you understand? I will kill Schmidt when I find him and nothing can change that."

Annalise scoffed as Erik picked up a strand of her hair to twirl around his finger. "He might not agree with your plans," Annalise responded. "What if he does something to you?"

Erik could hardly inform her that the thought had crossed his mind. He knew that she would worry forever then. Erik had imagined that Shaw could defeat him and escape him again, but he refused to let that happen. He would do all in his power to stop it from happening.

"Then we shall cross that bridge should we come to it," Erik said, his voice softer than usual as he moved his hand to Annalise's neck, cupping it gently as he rested his forehead against hers. "Just promise me that you will stay here and stay safe. I see you and Raven have grown close."

Nodding, Annalise closed her eyes for a brief moment as Erik pecked her cheek. "I promise."

"Good," Erik said, knowing that there would be no more to discuss if he could help it. He knew that Annalise would try to approach the subject again, but he could only hope that she would leave it alone for the time being. "So, there are a few hours before we leave…I was thinking we could maybe go and get something to eat."

It always shocked Annalise when Erik suggested they go out. She had grown used to Erik's visits always being brief and spent in her flat, mainly her bedroom, but he sometimes suggested going out.

"Are we allowed to do that?" Annalise wondered from him.

"I don't see why not," Erik shrugged and moved to stand. "Besides, I haven't seen you eat since breakfast this morning."

"I had no idea you were monitoring my eating habits," Annalise responded and Erik gave her a sideways glare as she laughed once and wrapped her arm around his waist as his moved over her shoulders.

"Shut up and simply enjoy a normal meal for once. Did you not complain that we never went out enough when you were in London?" Erik asked from her and she chuckled.

"I did," she agreed. "You never seemed to listen to me back then, however. Anyway, if we are going out then you have to at least le me change first."

Erik rolled his eyes at that part, but watched her as she walked away into the corridors and back to their bedroom. He shrugged in the leather jacket he wore before wandering the corridors, waiting for her to come back to the courtyard so that they could leave for a couple of hours. He checked his watch before he looked up and noticed Annalise walking back to him.

She had changed into a flared skirt with her sheer white blouse tucked inside of it. Her flat shoes sat on her feet as thick black tights covered her legs. Her hair bounced around her shoulders as she smiled over to Erik and he couldn't help but admit that she looked lovely.

"I'm ready," Annalise smiled.

Erik nodded to her, struggling to get his words out as he led her away from the base. He picked a small Italian restaurant for the evening, sitting in a small booth in the darkened space. Small candles lit the table up whilst soft music played in the background. Erik couldn't help but check his watch every now and then to make sure that he would be back in time for his flight that evening.

Annalise looked around the small restaurant, taking in everything from the flowers hanging from the ceiling to the small mirrors lined on the walls. She had to admit that the space was intimate, but it was tastefully decorated. Looking back to Erik, she wondered if this was the kind of place he felt comfortable in. Did Erik do dining out? Did he even socialise? Annalise worried that she knew nothing of Erik.

"Don't you find it weird?" Annalise suddenly asked from Erik as she sipped on her water.

"What?" Erik asked her back.

"I had no idea that you even liked Italian food," Annalise informed him. "I don't know what you like to eat…or if you even enjoy eating out…nothing…"

Erik's brow furrowed as he wondered how he could respond to that. He suspected they both knew things about each other, but they had never truly taken the time to get to know each other. Then again, they weren't exactly normal. Why should he be surprised that she didn't know much about him?

"Well," Erik spoke, folding his arms on the table as Annalise swirled her water in her glass. "I am particularly fond of Italian food, but when I eat out I tend to eat alone. I never stay in one place for too long."

"I guessed not," Annalise replied. "Obviously we have a lot to learn about each other."

"Obviously," Erik responded.

They spent the rest of the evening eating their meal and laughing and joking about things of no importance. Erik tried to keep the tone light to stop Annalise from worrying of what may happen in Russia. He would often lean across to wipe her hair from her face and push it behind her ear. He couldn't help but find her endearing when she looked away from his gaze whenever he completed the motion.

Slowly the night came to an end and Erik knew that he had to drive back to base to make his flight. With reluctance, he helped Anna from her seat, his hand delicately holding hers as she stood and he moved towards the exit again.

"Stay here, I just need to pay," Erik informed her as she stood by the double doors and waited patiently, watching Erik by the bar.

Turning around as he waited for the waiter, Erik looked back over to Annalise as she folded her arms over her stomach and looked around the restaurant a couple of more times. Smiling softly, Erik couldn't quite understand why his stomach was churning at the thought of leaving her.

"I trust everything was fine with your meal, sir?"

Erik turned back around as the waiter caught his attention. He pulled out a twenty-dollar note and told the man to keep the change before he turned back around. Looking back to the door as he placed his wallet away, he noted that there was no sign of Annalise. His brows furrowed together as his stride increased with each step until he slammed the glass door open. The cool night air hit his body as he looked around with haste.

"Annalise," he called her name.

This was not the time for her to go wandering off and away from him. Calling her name once more, Erik whirled around, wondering if she had followed him out.

"Erik!"

A yell was managed on her behalf that caused Erik to spin around in his tracks. The row of buildings which the Italian sat on had a small alleyway where the dumpsters were located, and that was where he saw her being dragged. Running to the alleyway, Erik skidded to a halt when he saw a familiar looking creature with his arms around Annalise.

Holding a hand up, Erik's gaze caught Annalise's as she did her best to stop tears from flowing down her cheeks.

The red creature with the pointed tail had the end of it pressed against Annalise's neck, the tip causing enough pressure to threaten to pierce her skin. Annalise was mute as her body shook and she saw Erik slowly move closer towards them. She dared to struggle slightly as Erik's glower increased.

"She has nothing to do with your plans," Erik snapped at the creature. "Just leave her alone."

The red creature said nothing, but he did smile smugly. Shaking his head, his grip around Annalise increased.

"Unfortunately not, comrade," was all that he said before he disappeared in a haze of smoke, Annalise going with him too.

Erik rushed forwards then, hoping to stop him, but all he did was collide with the wall in front of him. His hands moved to stop him from hitting it head on, but he felt the impact on his palms. Turning his head over his shoulder he knew that she was gone. Slamming a fist against the wall, Erik lowered his head and struggled to catch his breath. Where the hell was she now? And, more importantly, what did Schmidt want with her?

…

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I would love to know what you think thus far!


	10. Chapter 10

Erik drove like a maniac back to the base. His mind was all over the place, but at the centre there was one thing, well, one woman. Annalise. What had he done? He had done his best to distract her for the evening. He wanted to stop her from worrying about Russia and Shaw and everything. He had wanted it to be how it used to have been for just one night. He wanted her to himself. He wanted to spend time with her and make sure that she was going to be fine. He knew that he may be described as intense, but this was new to Erik.

Feelings for women did not come naturally to him. He had only one goal in his life and that was to kill Shaw. To meet a woman, settle down and have children was not part of his plan. Then again, Erik didn't know what he was going to do after he had killed Shaw. He couldn't see past that moment.

Patting his hand on the pocket of his jacket, he felt the coin he always carried with him. His hand then moved to run down his chin, gripping it tightly as he thought about Annalise and what Shaw could be doing to her. Closing his eyes as he came to a red traffic light, he recalled what Shaw had done to him. He remembered how he had strapped him down to a table and tortured him. He had never experienced pain like it. And then he remembered the relief he felt when the camp had been stormed. He remembered how people had told him he would be safe.

He had been nothing but a child. He had cried for his mother, of course he had cried for her. He didn't want to believe that his only family had been taken from him. He still remembered her. He remembered the way she had always been there when he was upset over the most trivial things. The way she would sit him down and hold his hand whilst whispering how he was going to be fine. She had all these hopes for him. The first time she had seen him bend metal had caused her to worry.

Erik had ran off for days. He had been scared of what he was. He was nothing but a monster. He was not normal. He had finally returned home, his head hung in shame. He half expected his mother to tell him that he was insane. But she didn't. She sat him down and told him that what he could do made him special. Of course, she had warned him not to use his powers in public. She wanted to hide him. But she wanted to hide him to keep him safe. She wasn't ashamed of him. She had never been ashamed of him.

But Erik wondered what she would think of him now. Would she still be proud? He had killed. The men he had murdered were anything but innocent, but he had murdered them. Would she understand? Would she still love him?

But then Erik wondered what she would have thought of Annalise. God, Erik could only imagine them two meeting. Annalise would have been nervous as hell. Erik could almost imagine her trying to bake something for his mother to gain her approval. Especially considering she was not simply courting him, but sharing his bed.

Wiping a tear from his eye as he thought of the scenario which would never happen, he continued his drive back to the CIA base in silence. He would go and find Schmidt if he had to. He wouldn't wait for him to come to Erik. Erik could only imagine how he would gloat if he had harmed Annalise. Erik had lost the one woman who meant more than anything to him, he was not about to lose the other woman who mean something to him.

….

"And he just took her?"

Erik glowered over to Charles as he stood in the recreation room, his arms folded over his chest. How many times did he need to tell Charles the same thing?

"Yes," Erik said curtly. "I have no idea what he wants with her, Charles. He said nothing. I was paying for our meal and he took her. I barely saw anything. All I know is that we have to get her back. You know what he might do, Charles…her life is meaningless to him. She is a pawn in his game."

"I know," Charles nodded.

Moira sat quietly on the sofa, her hands folded in her lap as she looked to the ground. Raven stood by Hank's side, looking with a helpless stare to her brother. None of them said anything. None of them knew what to say. Raven had a feeling that the wrong statement would cause the metal bender to lose his temper with them all. Erik was nothing but a ticking bomb. He could go off at any moment. It worried Raven, but she suspected she would be in the same position if anyone took Charles from her. It was odd how people would do anything for those they loved. Then again, Erik would never admit to loving Annalise. He kept his feelings hidden.

"We have no trace of Shaw," Moira said. "All we know is that he is meeting with the Soviets. We can either stay here or go there…there may be a chance that he has her with him over there?"

"It's better than sitting her and doing nothing," Erik grumbled and stalked off.

Charles was about to follow him, but he restrained himself. There was nothing he could say to Erik to make him feel any better about this situation. He couldn't promise him that Annalise would be fine. He couldn't promise him that she would come back to them unharmed.

None of them knew what the future held.

….

Kneeling on the mud, Erik watched like a hawk through the binoculars they had been given by the CIA officials. Charles knelt next to him, waiting with patience as Moira spoke to her colleague. Erik never took his eyes off the mansion in front of him. He had counted the number of guards there and had also taken time to consider how to disarm them. The anger inside of his veins would keep his powers in full flow.

"Here," Moira hissed, motioning to the sky with a nod.

Erik looked up, his gaze narrowing above him as he did so. The sound of a helicopter caused his gaze to shift as the object landed on the lawn. His eyes remained firmly pressed to the binoculars, his teeth gritted together as he saw Emma exit the helicopter. But he was more concerned for the girl stumbling behind her.

"She has Annalise," Moira stated the obvious.

"But there is no Shaw," Charles whispered.

Erik continued to watch, noting how Annalise moved behind Emma. She kept her distance and continued to look around her surroundings, taking in everything she saw. Her eyes were wide and she wore nothing but the clothes from the previous night. She had no jacket covering her from the cold and the sheer white blouse she wore was dirtied with black marks. But Erik could see no sign of torment on her face. There were no cuts or bruises marring her pale skin.

"What is he doing?" Charles whispered to himself. "Why has he sent Emma? And why has she brought Annalise with her?"

"We'll soon find out," Erik said as the two women followed a portly man in uniform. "I'm going in."

"Erik," Moira hissed. "We are the CIA. We cannot go and infiltrate the home of a Soviet general. Are you mad? I know they have Annalise…but we cannot risk it. We will start World War Three singlehandedly if we go in there."

Erik gave a strong shake of his head as he tossed the binoculars down on the floor. "I'm not CIA and Annalise is not going to be a part of his plan," Erik said and took off without another word.

He could hear the hisses behind him as Charles and Moira demanded for him to come back. He ignored them and ran ahead, hitting the ground with as much speed as he could muster. He didn't once slow down as guards turned their guns to him, threatening him Russian and promising to shoot. Erik disarmed them, knocking them out with a swift kick around their heads as he pushed them to the ground.

Coming to the mansion, he noted more guards rushing towards him. His hands moved in front of his body as he clenched his fingers together. The guns in their hands burst into pieces whilst they looked on confused. They tumbled to the floor as Erik allowed the guns to hit them around the head.

He began to move down the corridors as he heard Charles's voice call after him. Moving into the room the guards were guarding, Erik looked onto the sight in front of him. Taking a moment to allow his mind to come to terms with the sight, he soon felt his stomach churn. On the bed sat the Russian man. He was laughing loudly as a girl underneath him shrieked loudly, kicking and clawing to push him from her. Annalise's hands were pushing at his shoulders as her legs kicked at him.

Emma Frost sat to the side, looking at the sight as she chewed a biscuit delicately. She only moved to her feet when she saw Erik enter. Shifting into diamond form, she did nothing as Erik rushed forwards, the rage apparent in his narrowed gaze.

Moving to grab hold of the man, Erik pushed him off Annalise, punching him swiftly in the jaw as Anna sat up and scrambled from the bed. She adjusted her shirt as Charles demanded for the man to go to sleep before Erik could inflict anymore damage on him.

"Erik," Charles demanded his friend's attention as Erik looked to Emma Frost who was running to the door. Charles managed to grab her by the waist as Erik used his powers to move the metal of the bedframe to wrap around her body.

Her body slammed to the foot of the bed as Erik allowed his grip to tighten on the diamond formed woman. He felt sweat begin to drop on his forehead as he saw her struggle for breath. He wanted her dead. She was going to let that man assault Annalise. She was going to watch him use her. He was going to use Annalise as his personal whore.

"Erik, enough," Charles warned him. "Erik, we need her alive."

"You saw what she was going to let him do to her," Erik hissed. "He was going to…Anna…and she let him."

"But she didn't," Charles said. "We need her for questioning, Erik. Look at Annalise…you're scaring her…just stop this…"

Erik turned his stare to Annalise and he noted how she stood by the bed, her eyes wet and her body shaking. She was staring at him, but there was something amiss. She didn't look relieved. She didn't look at him as though she was glad to see him. She was empty. Her stare was empty. But Erik noted Charles's words and he let his grip loosen on her.

Pushing a hand through his hair, he moved over to Annalise and placed his hands on her arms. She flinched and Erik saw her look away from him. His brow furrowed as he noted the odd behaviour from her as he bent down to her height, his hand moving to cup her cheek.

"Annalise," he whispered her name. "It's alright now…everything is alright…"

She said nothing to him and Erik moved to wrap her into his arms. He turned to look back to Emma as she shifted out of her diamond form. Charles inhaled a sharp breath and moved to the window to see if the CIA were coming in after them.

Annalise turned her head against Erik's chest, her gaze settling on Emma. Emma waited until Erik looked away before she gave Annalise an encouraging nod. Annalise nodded back and her hands tightened into balls by her side. Emma Frost continued to smirk to the ground. This had all been too easy. Wiping the girl's memories…persuading her that Erik was an enemy…and then commanding her to kill him when they were alone. Shaw had been clever to see the girl as nothing but a pawn. And with no memories or feelings for Erik Lenhsherr, Annalise was nothing but a blank canvas. A canvas for Shaw to use as he wanted.

And by the end of the night she will have killed Erik for him.

It all was too easy.

…..

A/N: If anyone is reading then it would be great for you to let me know! I know it has been a while since I updated but I hope you enjoyed the change in plot. Let me know what you think may happen!


	11. Chapter 11

Annalise said nothing the entire journey back to Moscow airport. Erik had sat by her side, his arms delicately holding her to his side as he spoke to her, trying to prise words from her. But she said nothing. She looked at him with something like disgust and blankness. He didn't know what he had done, but he knew that something had happened to her. Schmidt had done something to ruin her and Erik didn't know what.

He said nothing when he realised that Annalise wasn't going to speak with him. She didn't even reach for his hand or touch him. She was distant and Erik was on the verge of snapping with her.

Emma Frost was being transported back to Langley by the CIA agents who had travelled with them, whilst Erik and Charles had deemed it necessary to fly back separately and away from Emma. They didn't want Annalise anywhere near Emma Frost after what had happened.

"She has said nothing," Erik spoke in a low voice to Charles as they stood in the departure lounge. Annalise was sat on a seat, her legs folded as her fingers clutched around the jacket Erik had given her to wear.

"She looks at me like she wants to kill me, Charles…or she doesn't even know me…" Erik said. "Can you not have a look in her mind? See what she is thinking?"

"Do you think that is wise?" Charles worried as he looked back to Annalise, his brow arching and a frown forming on his forehead. She was too quiet: Charles could admit that.

He had only just met Annalise, but he knew that this was not normal behaviour for, especially around Erik. He had seen the pair of them interact and Annalise did everything possible to be as close to Erik. She worried over him. She spent her hours making sure that Erik was safe and did nothing too dangerous.

"Do you think Shaw had Emma do something to her?" Charles wondered. "She can control minds like I can. Perhaps she has done something? Erased her memories? Something odd?"

Erik shrugged, folding an arm over his waist and allowing his other hand to hold his chin delicately. His gaze was soft as he watched Anna look around her surroundings, her knuckles white as she held the jacket tightly. She closed her eyes after a moment or two and Erik nodded. Something had been done to her.

"I think it is possible," Erik admitted. "You need to have a look, Charles. She…she cannot continue like this."

"Nor can you, I imagine," Charles said and Erik turned his gaze to him and glowered slightly as Charles placed a hand on Erik's shoulder. "You care deeply for her, my friend. You have no need to hide your feelings. Annalise is a sweet woman, Erik. I can tell that you care for her deeply."

"I…" Erik trailed off, his jaw clenching and his gaze moving to his boots as he thought of what he should say. "She is important, Charles. No one else has had an effect on me like she has."

"Well, I can only imagine that is what happenings when you spend years sleeping with a woman," Charles said with a wry smirk and Erik looked to him again with a questioning stare. "Girls tend to speak, Erik. Anna told Raven the truth when we were gone about how you two really met."

"I'm not surprised," Erik admitted. "Anyway, have a look and stop stalling."

Charles nodded and moved his fingers to his temple, closing his eyes and preparing to look into her mind. He focused, blanking everyone else out from around him as he settled into Annalise's mind. But he found nothing. Everything was distorted and the pictures he tried to access were fuzzy. He made out Erik in one of them, the pair of them hiding under white sheets as Erik looked at her with intensity. But the memory went blank after that. There was nothing coherent.

Removing his fingers from his temple, Charles shook his head and looked back to his friend.

"Something is wrong," Charles said. "It is like all of her memories have been tampered with. They are all broken and distorted. I don't know how to fix this, Erik without telling her what I need to do."

"Then tell her," Erik said. "How can her memories have been tampered with? They're erased? They're changed? What?"

"Erik," Charles hissed, urging for his friend to keep his voice down as he patted him on the back. "Calm down. I do not know. The memories have not been erased as I can still make them out…vaguely…but they are blurred. I need to sit down and try to fix this."

"Then fix it," Erik demanded and Charles shook his head.

"I will try," he promised him. "But let us get her home first…somewhere comfortable…she needs rest before I can do anything to help her. You can see how exhausted she is."

Nodding, Erik knew that there was nothing he could do to persuade him to change his mind. The two men exchanged a knowing glance before going back to Annalise and trying to speak with her, but she continued to stare straight ahead, nothing but a vacant and unknowing expression on her face.

….

Returning to base was a relief to Erik. He was almost relieved to return to the room in the CIA base he had been sharing with Annalise. Their possessions were where they had left them and there was nothing out of place. Erik had his hand on the small of Annalise's back as he guided her into the room. She automatically went into the bathroom and closed the door, locking it behind her as Erik watched on with furrowed brows. What the hell was going on?

"Anna," Erik spoke her name as soon as she came back out. "Anna, please talk to me. Please tell me what you are thinking. I am worried about you…please…"

Annalise looked to him, blinking profusely as she watched his face. She scrutinised him and opened her mouth, preparing to say something to him. She could feel herself wanting to tell him what had happened. She needed to tell him. Erik. She remembered Erik. But did she? Every time she tried to place him in her memories she felt herself turn sick slightly.

"I am tired," Annalise finally said. "I just want to sleep."

Erik was about to sigh in frustration, but he nodded. He had two sentences from her. At least she had managed to speak. Erik pulled the covers to the bed back and Annalise climbed into it, still dressed in Erik's jacket and the skirt she had been wearing for the past three days. Erik stood on the other side of the bed, watching as she turned onto her side and away from him. He closed the curtains and switched the main light out and turned the bedside light on.

"I promise you that I will do everything I can to help you get through whatever you're going through, Anna," Erik spoke softly as he knelt by the bed and moved his hand out to hold onto her shoulder. She kept her eyes closed as Erik moved his hand to brush her hair behind her neck. "I will help you, but I need you to tell me how. I need you to talk to me…maybe not tonight…but soon…please…I need you to help me."

Erik continued to watch, but he received nothing from Annalise. Nodding his head, Erik moved from the room and left her to sleep alone as he went to discuss their next move with Charles.

…..

Annalise sat up straight in the middle of the night. The bedside light was still burning bright by her side as she looked around the bedroom. She could hear soft snores from next to her and she turned her gaze to the sound. Erik was sleeping next to her, resting soundly on his stomach as his hands were stuffed underneath the pillow.

Moving in a trance like state from the bed, Annalise walked around the bed and towards the door. The corridors were quiet and empty as she went, her bare feet plodding down the cold concrete floor, but that didn't seem to bother her. Her eyes were set forwards and her mouth allowed soft pants to escape past her lips.

She moved slowly through the corridors until she came to the recreation room, pushing the door open and walking into it. She continued through the room to the kitchen before she opened the drawers and began searching for the sharp edged weapon she needed. She cut her fingers on a peeler she picked up by mistake, but she did nothing to stop the blood dripping from her pierced skin. The red drops fell onto the floor and her tights, staining her clothing as it went. Finally, she picked up the black handle and held the knife she had found. She pulled it up to her eye line, looking at the sharp blade as it glimmered in the light. She turned it slightly, knowing that it was the biggest blade she could find as she placed it by her side and began to make her way back down to the bedroom she was sharing with Erik.

No one disturbed her and no one was around to see what she was about to do. Her face was blank as she pushed the door open to their bedroom, closing it behind her to make sure it didn't slam shut. Looking to the bed, she noted Erik had rolled onto his back, his hands now on his stomach and his eyes firmly shut as he slept.

Moving towards him, Annalise stood by the side of the bed, tilting her head to the side as she watched him.

_Erik Lehnsherr has done nothing but hurt you…he has kidnapped you…took you from a loving home…used you for his own gain…when the time is right you will kill him. Plunge a knife through his heart and watch him bleed…stop him from hurting anyone else._

The words haunted Annalise as she lifted the knife to waist height, holding it firmly in her hands as she continued to let it rise. Her gaze was firmly set on Erik now as she watched him, trying to recall where she had seen his face. A sudden white light shot through her gaze as she tried to remember. She staggered back, her mind a whirl and her head aching as she recognised his smirking face. His face was staring at her from underneath the sheets of a bed. His eyes were soft. Everything about him seemed kind.

"No," Annalise whispered.

He had warned her that this might happen. Lehnsherr had a friend who could read minds too. He had told her that he would try to persuade her otherwise. But she knew better. They were trying to trick her.

Opening her eyes again, she grunted as another memory seemed to make itself known to her. Erik sat opposite her in a restaurant, his hand in hers as he told her of his life.

It was then when she snarled at the memory, the noise dragging Erik from his sleep. He looked around, disorientated as he pushed himself to his elbows, blinking to clear the sleep from his eyes. It was only then when he looked up and saw Annalise stood over him, hatred on her face a knife in her hands, travelling down to his chest.


	12. Chapter 12

Erik moved with haste as Annalise brought the knife down, his hand moved in front of him as he allowed his powers to surge through his body. The metal from the band of the knife was enough to push her hand away from him and give him a chance to roll to the other side of the bed. His pyjama bottoms hung low on his hips as his torso remained bare. Standing from the bed, he looked back over to Annalise as she rushed towards him, the knife still in her hands.

"Annalise!" Erik yelled her name. "What the hell are you doing?"

Annalise said nothing, instead she let out a loud yell as she moved towards Erik again, the knife still in her fingertips. She was about to raise it in the air again, but she soon stopped and dropped to the ground, her hands holding her head and Erik was almost concerned about the direction of the blade as it remained precariously close to her head.

She screamed loudly, her thoughts doing nothing but raising conflicting emotions in her. She could see things. She could remember certain things. But they were not clear. They were not enough to override the urge she had to plunge that knife into his body. Her eyes closed forcefully as she tried to feel something else but the hatred inside of her.

Erik kept his distance, his hand in front of him as he prised the knife from her hands and allowed it to move into his. He let out a sigh of relief as he held the knife in his fingertips and watched Anna continue to scream shrilly.

It didn't take long before the door to their room barged open and a flustered Charles and Raven rushed inside. Charles wore a large fluffy robe around him to cover his striped pyjamas. Raven wore a long nightshirt and her hair was tousled around her head, her eyes wide and staring to Annalise.

"What has happened?" Charles demanded from Erik, looking to the sobbing girl on the floor and the knife in Erik's fingertips.

"She tried to kill me," Erik hissed. "He's in her mind, Charles. He's gotten into her mind. She's not herself."

"I can see that," Charles spoke. "We need to restrain her. She needs to calm down."

As Charles and Raven moved towards her, she stood with haste, clawing out of their grip as Charles grabbed her behind the arms. Erik was about to go and help but her eyes met his and he froze. She was glowering at him. Her stare was almost as though she wanted to kill him. The shrill yell she let out at the sight of him moving towards her caused him to startle. This was not his Anna. She was not this woman in front of him.

"Anna," Raven tried to calm her down as she struggled to help Charles keep her pinned against his chest. "Anna, sweetie, it's me…Raven…look at me…come on…look at me…"

But she was actively avoiding Raven's stare. She only had eyes for Erik. She would not move her gaze from his as she did her best to get to him again. She could finish what she started if she could escape Charles's grip. She continued to yell, her screams seeming to grow with each passing moment.

"I need help," Charles said. "Raven, fetch someone. We need to sedate her."

"I'll help," Erik said, taking a step forwards but Charles shook his head as Annalise began kicking even harder against him, her upper body thrashing against Charles's and her yells grew with intensity.

"No," Charles said as Erik instinctively stood back. "You should stay back. I believe Shaw has erased her memories and planted another one…clearly this is not the Annalise you know or we know. He has turned her against you."

Erik rolled his eyes. "I gathered that by the way she tried to stab me."

"Yes…well…" Charles mumbled.

Raven rushed back into the bedroom, two men in suits following her. One held a syringe in his hands tightly as they moved around Annalise. Erik was about to protest for them to leave her be, but then he remembered her screams and the knife he held in her hands. He would speak with her when she was restrained and not trying to kill him.

He watched on as the needle was jabbed into her neck and she slowly went limp in Charles's hold. The telepath struggled to hold her upright as the two men began to take hold of her to help alleviate her weight. Charles finally allowed them to take her under the arms and her feet to distribute her weight.

"Can you take her to the lab and restrain her?" Charles asked the men.

"Yeah," one shrugged. "I'll send Agent MacTaggert to check on her too. No doubt she'll want to know what has happened here."

"No doubt," Erik echoed as Annalise was carted away from them.

Charles wiped his forehead, shocked at the sweat which had gathered there as Erik shook his head and sat on the bottom of the bed, his hands holding his head as he ran his fingers down his cheeks. He pulled at his skin and shook his head, wondering what he had done. He had done nothing but endanger Annalise ever since he had met her. He should have kept her out of his mess.

"You cannot blame yourself," Charles said, sitting next to him at the end of the bed as Raven stood in the doorway, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

Erik turned his glare to Charles. "I thought I told you to stay out of my mind?" Erik sniped.

"I'm not in your mind," Charles declared. "The guilt is written all over your face, along with the pain of what has just happened. What happened to Annalise is unknown, but I assure you that we will find out. We will try to undo the damage Shaw has done to her."

"And if we cannot?" Erik worried.

"We can," Charles remained optimistic. "I will find a way. I just need her calm and relaxed."

"She was going to kill you?" Raven suddenly wondered from Erik, looking him in the eye. It was almost as though she was slowly beginning to understand the severity of the situation which faced them. "Annalise…you…"

"She tried to stab me," Erik said. "I got away and then she came towards me…but she crumbled and started to scream. I grabbed the knife whilst she was on the floor…"

"Why did she not reach you?" Charles wondered from Erik and he shrugged at his friend. "Perhaps something pulled her back? Inner turmoil? Conflicted feelings? There might have been something inside of her which told her that this was wrong and that she didn't want to kill you."

Erik scoffed and shook his head. "Did you see the way she looked at me?" he demanded from Charles. "She looked at me as though I was her only enemy. She wanted me dead, Charles. And he did that to her. He has tainted her…the one good thing…"

Erik stood up, his fist slamming against the drawers in the corner of the room as anger coursed through his body and he felt himself inhale a sharp breath. Raven continued to watch on, her doe eyes wider than usual and Charles wondered what he should do. There would be no chance of calming Erik down. He was suffering. He was not one to wear his heart on his sleeve, but there was something about Annalise that made him unable to control his emotions.

"We shall go to her," Charles finally spoke. "We shall go and try to speak with her. We cannot make any promises as to what might happen, Erik, but we can try to keep her safe. We can try."

Erik remained silent, not entirely convinced with what he was hearing, but he did not bother to challenge Charles. He had enough fights on his hand.

…

Hank had been woken in the middle of the night, his gaze full of wonder as he questioned what was happening. Only when he saw the woman strapped to his table did he understand. Hank had no experimenting table, but he did happen to have a desk which she had been tied down to. He would have cursed at the mess made from his scattered possessions, but he didn't bother. He kept his distance, standing by the door which remained guarded. His hand held his chin as he waited for someone to make an appearance and tell him what had happened.

Annalise was silent, her eyes were closed and her chest rose at a steady pace. Hank remained mute, doing his best to consider what he was seeing. It was only then when he felt Charles's hand on his shoulder.

"She has been controlled by Shaw," Charles informed him. "She has no recollection of who she is…we found her trying to kill Erik."

Hank's eyes widened and he adjusted the glasses on his nose. She was still quiet and her gaze was closed.

"You think that he had his telepath wipe her memories?" Hank wondered.

"I would say that is definite," Charles said. "Erik is with Emma Frost and Moira downstairs. I said that I would come here and try to look into her memories, but I needed her restrained. I need to do something, Hank. She is not herself. Erik is going mad with worry."

"And f we can do nothing?" Hank pushed.

Charles bit down on his bottom lip and shook his head. He refused to think like that. He would ruin him if he did, so he could only imagine what it would do to Erik.

….

"What did you do to her?" Erik's snarl echoed through the room and Emma Frost smirked.

Erik was stood on the other side of the table, his fists clenched and resting on the stainless steel surface. Emma was quiet, her head tilted to the other side as Moira sat in the chair by the table, her hands resting on the surface as she waited for the telepath to talk.

"I take it she failed her job," Emma simply spoke.

"You mean killing me?" Erik demanded. "She had a good go at it. She stood over me with a knife and was about to do it, but I stopped her in time. What the hell did you do?"

Emma seemed to allow her grin to widen then. "Well, she had a go, didn't she? Shaw will be happy with that. I must say that he enjoyed torturing your little human more than he thought possible. She was tough to crack…she laid there…begging for me to stop hurting her memories…we should give her some credit."

Erik saw red then and his hands moved in front of him. He picked up the chains which were wrapped around Emma's wrist and proceeded to move them to her neck. Moira stood up then as Erik began to tighten the grip. Emma continued to grin as Moira pushed at Erik's arm.

"She is no use dead, Erik," Moira hissed. "And you are no good killing her. Do you think Annalise will thank you if she finds out? If she comes around and finds you in jail? Let her go."

Erik tried to ignore Moira's words, but he couldn't. He allowed his grip to falter as Emma coughed for breath and Moira sat back down, moving her hands to push her hair behind her ears. She shook her head and continued to stare at the telepath as Erik moved around the room, his hands behind his head as he went.

"You ruined her memories," Moira said. "We have established that. Charles is with her now trying to recover them."

Emma shrugged at hearing that, wondering why they were bothering. She had well and truly destroyed Annalise's mind to the point of no return. Not even Charles Xavier could help her to recover those memories. At least, she hoped that he couldn't.

"Good luck," Emma said. "It is difficult to replace something which is destroyed. Of course, if you let her lose then you know she will try to finish off the job she started…no hesitation…"

Erik looked to her again, her words seeming to snap something inside of him. She looked to him and wondered why he was staring at her in such an odd manner. He said nothing, choosing to keep silent as she did her best to understand what was causing such a worried look on Erik's face.

"She hesitated," Erik said to her and Emma shrugged.

"So?"

"So you said she shouldn't hesitate." Erik declared. "She started screaming…she tried once…and then after that…she stopped trying…she was angry…but it was almost as if she wanted to stop herself. It was as if she knew."

Emma rolled her eyes. "The dumb bitch can't carry out simple orders."

"Erik," Moira warned him when she saw him moving forwards again, his anger taking hold of him once more. "She is not worth it."

"She's not," Erik agreed. "But Annalise is and I know that I can bring her back. You and Shaw have taken everything from me already…you're not taking her too."

Emma shook her head, tutting as she did so. "But she is already ours," she whispered, her tone teasing. "Shaw took her from you…just another one you failed to protect, Erik. Is anyone safe if they are with you?"

Moira waited to snap at Erik again, but she had no need to. The metal bender was already on his way out of the room, rushing with haste and snarling as he went. He refused to believe Emma. Shaw would not take everything from him. He would see to it himself if he had to.

…..

A/N: So not too many reviews for the last couple of chapters. I just want to check if anyone is still interested in this fic? If you are the thanks for reading and remaining interested!


	13. Chapter 13

Erik stood by the door as Charles remained by Annalise's side, speaking to her in hushed tones. He tried to find a reasoned response from her, but he didn't know if it was working. She had been silent, only her eyes were open and staring at the ceiling above her. Her body was numb and her lips were parted as she took deep breaths. She tried to control her breathing as she allowed Charles into her mind.

The telepath had his fingers pressed against his temple, his eyes closed as he spoke soft words. Annalise was trying to block him from her memory, but she was far too weak. Charles kept pushing, his mind working as hard as possible to make Annalise remember everything. He was struggling miserably. They had ruined her as much as possible.

"What is he doing here?"

The short snap from Annalise was enough to drag Charles from his attempt to infiltrate her mind. He looked over to the door where Erik stood. Annalise had turned her head to the side, her cheek pressed against the stainless steel as her glare on Erik continued to increase with each passing moment. The metal bender shook his head and rolled his eyes.

He was done being nice. This was not his Annalise.

"Why don't you talk to me nicely?" Erik hissed, his arms folded over his chest as he sauntered into the room, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "You did just try to stab me, Annalise. Maybe you should be apologising?"

"You bastard," Annalise hissed and Charles sighed, wondering if this was such a good idea. "I know what you did. You kidnapped me…took me from my parents…you're nothing but a lying bastard."

"Really?" Erik wondered. "And do you remember any of that, Anna? Do you remember complaining when I came to you in the middle of the night? You never complained as I fucked you."

"Oh, Erik," Charles mumbled, shaking his head, wondering if there was any need for him to be so harsh. "Is there a need for such crude language?"

"She deserves to know," Erik said. "You've tried being nice, Charles. Now we try it another way."

"I would never let you touch me," Annalise shrieked, her voice reaching a higher than normal pitch. "Do you think I would let someone like you near me? You're lying. I know you're lying. He told me that you would do this. He told me that you would manipulate me, but it won't work. I know the truth. I know who you are."

Erik chuckled then. The sound only caused Annalise to grow with anger, her cheeks tinting red as she thrashed around in the straps holding her down. She hated Erik Lehnsherr. She hated him more than she thought possible.

"You have no idea," Erik said. "Shaw has brainwashed you. He has had his little mutant remove all the good memories from you. And you're too weak to prove him wrong. The Annalise I know would never be so pathetic…she would try to fight it."

"No one has brainwashed me," she snarled at him and Erik arched a brow as Charles ran a hand through his hair. He was silent as he watched the exchange continue.

He was reluctant to let Erik continue with his torrent of abuse, but he said nothing. Perhaps the metal bender knew what he was doing after all? Then again, he might have no idea. Yet they had ben getting nowhere so far. This could be a breakthrough, or it could ruin her further. Yet, as Charles looked between Erik and Annalise, he doubted she could be ruined further than she was.

"Have they not?" Erik continued to provoke her, moving two fingers to press against her temple harshly. "Then prove it. London, seven months ago…the Thames…what do you see?"

Annalise couldn't help but think of his words as he said them. She saw herself walking alongside the Thames, but she wasn't alone. It was winter and cold. She wore a thick black coat with a red scarf, but her arm was inside someone else's. Someone walked beside her and she smiled up to him. He was tall…she could tell that much. He wore a dapper suit with a grey winter coat over his body. But his face was blurred.

Erik saw lines of confusion form on her face and he knew that she was thinking. She was thinking too much. Moving closer to her, he bent down to her, his hand moving to her arm as he saw a bead of sweat break on her forehead.

"Or the time you were at work…the time I cam when you had finished…the pub I took you to. I stood with you for hours that night listening to you tell me how much you hated your job."

"No," Annalise hissed, doing her best to block the memory out. She knew that she was failing miserably. She was struggling to comprehend what she was hearing from him.

"Yes," Erik hissed. "Or the nights I spent in your bed. You were happy, Annalise. You weren't this bitter woman…the woman you have become."

Annalise was about to shriek in pain as Charles moved forwards, his hand resting on Erik's shoulder as Erik gripped hold of Anna's arm tightly.

"Erik," Charles hissed. "You have to stop. She is not coping."

"She is," Erik said. "I won't let her forget, Charles. You cannot stop me."

Annalise continued to picture everything he had said. She could see things. She could see herself, but no one else. She could see Erik. She could sense him there behind her. She could feel him by her side. She continued to sob slightly. Everything inside of her told her to fight his words. She wanted to ignore him. But it was too strong. Everything seemed too strong to ignore.

"I met you when you were a receptionist," Erik snapped. "I slept with you that night and I kept coming back to you. I never left you, Annalise. I never left you and you know that. You're the only one I need. Do you understand me, Annalise? I would never do anything to hurt you. You would do nothing to hurt me. Remember, Annalise!"

Charles almost thought that Annalise was about to pass out, but she didn't. She kept yelling loudly, her body convulsing as Erik refused to ease his grip on her. He kept on staring, his narrow gaze intense as he did his best not to let her forget. She couldn't forget. Erik wouldn't let her.

It was only as the final scream came did Annalise stop shaking. She fell back to the table, her back collapsing against it. She took in deep breaths and Erik quirked a brow, leaning closer to her as she gasped for breath. His hand moved to her face, moving the hair from her sweat covered cheeks. She looked him in the eye and Erik knew he had gotten through to her.

She looked at him like she knew. Erik could have sighed in relief, but he remained content with managing a small smile, his fingers still stroking against her cheek.

"Anna," he spoke her name in a hushed tone as Charles watched on in amazement.

"Erik," she choked out, remembering everything she had done. She was going to stab Erik. She was going to kill him. How could she forgive herself? She felt sick as she tried to sit up but found herself unable to.

Charles moved with haste, untying the straps on the table. He pulled them from Annalise as Erik helped her to sit up, his arm around her waist as she moved her arm around his broad shoulders, swinging her feet over the table and remaining sat as Erik moved to press against her side.

"I was going to kill you," Annalise whispered to him, pressing her free hand to his neck. "Erik…I…I am so sorry…I…If I had done it…"

"You had no idea what you were doing," Charles was the one to inform her as Erik took her hand inside of his and kissed the back of it, silently assuring her that it was fine. "Shaw had his mutant control your mind. None of this is your fault, Annalise. You need to understand that."

"How can I?" Annalise worried, looking between Erik and Charles. "What if he gets inside of my head again? How can you trust me? I shouldn't be here. I should go."

"You are going nowhere," Erik declared. "I have no intention of being killed by you, Annalise. And you have no intention of killing me. You know that. It won't happen again."

"How can you be sure?" Annalise worried and Erik shook his head, moving to press his lips against hers chastely.

"Because you are back," Erik said in a whisper. "And that is all that matters."

Annalise didn't bother to argue with him, knowing that there would be no point. When had she ever really won an argument against Erik?

….

Annalise finished showering and placed her plaid pyjamas onto her body, brushing her teeth as she moved around the bathroom. Her hair was damp and hung over her shoulder whilst her arms wrapped around her waist. She was struggling to put together everything that had happened in the past few days, but a part of her didn't want to know. Erik had promised her that he had told her all that he knew and that was good enough.

For the evening she was content to rest and forget about mutants and everything that had happened. Raven had been to check in on her earlier as Charles and Erik spoke of their next move. Raven had brought her a soothing cup of tea and a sandwich, yet it remained untouched on her dresser.

Leaving the bathroom, Annalise watched Erik sat on the bed. His legs were stretched in front of him as he held Sebastian Shaw's file in his fingertips, still reading every detail he could find.

Annalise moved over to the bed and climbed into the covers, Erik lifting his arm up instinctively and allowing her to burrow by his side, her head resting on his side as he dropped the folder onto his lap and her arm found his waist to wrap around.

"Are you certain you want to share a room with me?" she wondered from him. "After what I have done I would understand if you would rather have your own room."

"Anna," Erik sighed almost in frustration. "I trust you. You didn't know what you were doing, but you are fine now."

"Okay," Annalise whispered. "Anyway, why are you reading that file?"

"I need to know every detail about him," Erik said. "I don't want to be unprepared for when I find him. He has got the better of me too many times before, Anna. It won't happen again. I have no intention of letting him best me anymore. He hurt you…my mother…I want him dead for what he has done."

Annalise shivered at hearing Erik speak like that. She knew what he had done. She knew all too well that he had killed all of those that had harmed him in the war. He had told her that he was no saint, yet Anna understood. She could not say that she agreed with it, but she understood. She just didn't want to see Erik driven to the point of madness with it all.

"I admit that he is not my favourite person," Annalise mumbled against Erik's side. "But I doubt I would have it in me to kill him."

Erik almost shuddered at the thought and he moved his hand to cup the back of her head. "You will be going nowhere near him," he promised her. "I will not have you anywhere near him, Anna."

"And we both know you need to stop making promises you cannot keep," Annalise yawned, the feeling of tiredness sweeping through her body. "Anyway, I have no intention of arguing with you. I just want to sleep."

"Sleep?" Erik checked with her. "You do know that it is only half past six in the evening and we are all alone for once? I had thought that you would have another idea for a night time activity."

Propping herself onto her elbows, Annalise looked over to Erik, her brow arched as she swatted at his chest. "I tried to kill you last night and that is the only thing you can think about?"

"Well, you know what they say about sleeping with the enemy," Erik whispered and Annalise rolled her eyes.

"You are unbelievable," she whispered and Erik chuckled before moving down to press his lips against hers, but she pulled back before he could do anything further. "But I would just like to sleep. You can wait until tomorrow night."

Erik grinned and kissed her forehead before he allowed her to fall asleep against him and he continued to read the folder on his lap. He remained mute as Annalise snored softly and he moved his fingers up and down her arm in a soothing manner.

It was only as he was about to doze off when he felt the ground shake beneath them.

...

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone reading this! I do hope it isn't too predictable, but I do hope to throw a curveball in before we get to Days of Future Past!


	14. Chapter 14

Erik climbed from the bed as soon as the shaking had began to slow, his hands still holding the bed as he steadied himself. He reached for Annalise as she crawled off, the trembling floor still reeling. Annalise wrapped her hands around his upper arms as he held her firmly on the floor. His gaze was set firmly on the door and Annalise knew what he intended to do. She also knew who was here. It could only be one person who wanted them all dead.

"Erik," Annalise whispered as Erik looked down to her and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Stay here," he warned her.

"As if I am letting you go without me," she scoffed and moved to grab hold of her shoes, slipping them onto her feet as Erik stormed to the door and she followed him. "Besides, I'm probably in more danger if I'm alone, right?"

"Christ," Erik mumbled as he looked to her and knew that she had a point. He grunted under his breath and Annalise looked to him, holding her hand out expectantly as Erik still struggled with knowing what to do.

Locking her in the room seemed the nicer option but he knew that it wasn't practicable. Annalise had a point. He preferred not to let her out his sight. At least he could be there to protect her. Looking to her fingers, Erik moved his own hand into hers and gripped it tightly.

They rushed from the room and ran down the corridors, Annalise still dressed in her pyjamas as they came to the corner of the lobby. Erik suddenly came to a hasty halt, skidding on the floor as he heard a distinct voice echo through the halls. He gripped Anna by the waist as she continue to run past and he hauled her back, pressing her against the wall and moving his hand to her mouth to keep her quiet.

She furrowed her brows but listened intently as the voice entered her ears.

"Where are the mutants?"

Erik narrowed his glare as he dared to peer around the corner, Annalise's waist still in his grip as she peered around too, her head pressed against Erik's chest.

"Stand down!"

The yells from a man moved back into their ears and Anna peered up to Erik, knowing full well that Shaw was the one who was demanding entry. Closing her eyes for a second as the ground shook, she did her best not to think about what Shaw had just done. She also did her best to not think about what Erik would do if he came close to Shaw again.

"He's trying to recruit them," Erik whispered.

"How do you know?" Annalise wondered back as Erik took her hand and began to drag her off as her pyjama bottoms trailed on the floor and her damp hair still clung to her face.

"We have mutants to fight him," Erik whispered, stalking the corridors with stealth. "He will want them to fight us. He cannot win if he is outnumbered. Why else would he demand to know where they are? It is either that or he intends to kill them…and I'd rather not think of that as an option."

Nodding her agreement, Annalise remained silent as they took the corridors with haste, moving faster than usual before they came to the recreation room where everyone was usually sat and talking. However, no one was doing that. They were all cowered into the corner, Charles stood in front of them, his hands outstretched in front of him as he promised them that they would be safe.

"Erik," Charles whispered his name in some form of relief as Anna looked around, her eyes widening as she saw the damage shrouded around them.

The glass windows were broken and shards rested all over the ground whilst dead bodies littered the grass courtyard outside. Everything was out of place and Cerebro had been well and truly destroyed.

"It's Shaw," Erik said once he had quietly and quickly scanned the destruction and he moved towards Charles, his hand still inside of Anna's.

"I know," Charles spoke. "His cronies came and disappeared. I don't know what they want."

"To either kill us or recruit us," Erik declared. "He'll be here before we know it. What do we do?"

Charles looked concerned, not knowing the answer to the question he had just been asked. He had no plan of action for this sudden attack. There was no knowledgeable answer. The mutants behind him were not ready for Shaw.

"We fight."

It was Alex who was the one to answer, his arms extended by his sides as he spoke.

"Very brave of you."

The new voice entered the room without anyone truly noticing. Erik was the one to react first, moving his hands in front of him and searching for anything metal he could find. Raven shrieked as piping fell down from the roof and moved towards Shaw, but the man in the odd helmet stopped it, his hands touching it and absorbing the power as other metal objects moved his way to no avail.

"Now, Erik," Shaw chuckled as two other men entered behind him, both of them silent as they did so.

Anna noted that one of them was red, a tail was wafting from his body and his eyes were narrow and scanning between each one of them cowered against the opposite wall away from them. Another man moved from the window, his arms folded and an impressive looking suit on his body whilst Cerebro lay broken and destroyed in the field in the distance.

Remaining still, Annalise almost wanted to reach for Erik, knowing that she wanted some form of comfort from him. There was a part of her that knew that so long as she had Erik she was safe. She longed for that feeling of security, but she kept her hands by her side as the metal bender continued to glower, his hands remaining in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" Charles was the one to take control of the situation and Annalise was glad that he had done. She knew that he was powerful and she knew how much he cared for all the mutants in the room. She was aware that he would do what he could to make sure that the situation was diffused. Erik was more prone to causing an escalation.

"I am here to hurt no one," Shaw held his hands up in defence. "Contrary to what little Erik might think."

"Don't you dare," Erik seethed and Annalise could sense the rage coming from him. She could almost feel it seep into her own feelings.

"Now, now," Shaw said, a mocking grin on his face. "I'd hate to hurt you, Erik…or Annalise."

It was then when Erik remembered that the mutant with the teleportation abilities was there. His arm moved with haste behind him until it bumped against Annalise and he felt her move her own arms to wrap around his one, her body pressing against his as she did her best not to worry about Shaw's words.

Chuckling, Shaw rolled his eyes at the sight and moved around the room as Charles watched him with beady eyes along with everyone else.

"So what is it you want?" Charles continued to push.

"I want to recruit you to our side," Shaw spoke. "I want mutants to be out in the open. We have nothing to hide from. We have nothing to fear. We are the more evolved species and we should be treated as such."

Annalise looked between everyone in the room. She could see Raven looking at Shaw as though he was mad and Hank did the same. Alex and Sean each looked full of anger as their hands balled into fists. Darwin stood behind Charles, trying to keep everyone behind him whilst Angel eyed Shaw with intrigue. She didn't look scared. She looked transfixed.

"The humans are on our side," Charles spoke up. "We are helping them."

"Because they would help you if the role was reversed?" Shaw wondered. "The ones outside this room gave you up with ease. The humans fear us. They fear us because they do not understand us, yet why should they?"

"Because not all humans are the same," Annalise spoke up. "We need time to understand…but we do understand. Stop generalising us."

"But humans are weak," Shaw said, looking over Erik's shoulder to Annalise as he narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to her. "Do you not remember how easy it was to manipulate you? How I ruined everything about Erik…how you sat there and sobbed…and now you tell me that not all humans are the same? They are. They are all powerless compared to us."

Charles shook his head then, his hand moving to push his hair behind his ear as Annalise saw Erik's jaw tense and she tugged on his arm, hoping to bring him back from the brink of the anger he found himself on. She feared what would happen if he lashed out. She knew the power he held. He was powerful and she knew exactly that he could destroy everything in this room and hurt more than Shaw if he wanted to.

"No one shall join you," Charles declared. "We are all here for the same reason."

"No."

The lone voice came from one person and everyone moved their eyes to the sound of the voice. Angel stood away from the crowd, moving towards Shaw as he offered her his hand.

"Angel," Raven whispered her name.

"He's right," Angel spoke. "We don't belong here. None of us do. They will never accept us."

"Angel, that is simply not true," Charles promised her in a small voice, clearly hoping to plead with her. "We can make it so."

"You cannot change anything," Angel said. "I am tired of this life. I am tired of hiding."

"Let her go," the lack of compassion from Erik shocked no one. His teeth were ground together as Angel took hold of Shaw's hand and Erik met the man's gaze.

It was taunting. It was mocking. Erik hated him. He hated him for what he had done to his mother…Annalise…he wanted and needed revenge.

The rage inside of him was too much and his hand instinctively moved again, anything metal in between him and Shaw shot towards the mutant and Erik let out a yell of anger. Everyone dove behind him as Annalise let go of his arm and covered her ears, the sound of metal clanging on the ground enough to make her shudder. But Shaw stopped everything that flew in his path, his mutation enough to do no damage to him and his mutants.

And as soon as the red mutant took hold of him by the hand, they had all disappeared.

…..

The entire CIA building was destroyed. Annalise stood outside of it as dawn broke and agents did what they could to find the dead bodies. The mutants were stood in a huddle talking with Moira as Annalise wandered around, a blanket over her shoulders as she still wore her pyjamas. Her hair had dried in a mess around her head whilst her face was pale with thanks to worry.

Standing and looking at the bricks and rubble of the building she could only think of how many people had lost their lives in that hour of destruction. So many bodies had been carried away. So many agents who had families back home. They had people who cared. Annalise was still struggling to believe everything that had happened.

She almost jumped when she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders and she looked up to see Erik staring down to her. Turning around her around, he pulled at the blanket over her shoulders until he had her pressed against him and she moved her arms around his waist, her cheek pressing to his chest.

"You're safe," Erik promised her. "We're going to Charles's home in Westchester. We need somewhere to stay and train."

"So many people died," Annalise said, her voice in some form of trance. "People died here, Erik…all for nothing…because he could…he killed them because they got in his way. He's a monster."

Erik nodded then, his jaw hardening as his hand moved up and down Annalise's back. "I know," he said, his eyes looking above him as his voice threatened to crack. "I know entirely."

Wiping her eyes, Annalise pulled back and shook her head. "Sorry," she whispered. "I know that you know…"

"You have nothing to apologise for," Erik said. "But I intend to make him pay for what he has done, Anna. I will not let him get away with this."

Nodding, Anna agreed with him. "And I want to help," she said. "I know that I have no mutation but I want to be with you, Erik. If he hurts you…I don't think that I could bear it. Do you understand that?"

"Anna," Erik complained to her, knowing that there was nothing she could do against Shaw.

"No," Anna said. "Erik, do you not get it? Do you not know how I would feel if he hurt you and I did nothing about it? If you were a body being wheeled from this wreckage? I…you're the only thing I really have…I…Erik…I love you."

She had never said those three words before. Both of them always skirted around them. Never before did they declare their feelings with that word. But Annalise was tired of pretending. Erik knew how much she cared for him. It really should come as no shock.

But Anna had expected him to say something back instead of just staring at her with a vacant expression on his face.

"I see that went down well," Anna mumbled.

Before she even had time to pull away from him, he had moved his head down towards hers and his mouth pressed against hers with a harshness she had not anticipated. She reciprocated after a moment, slightly shocked but pretending not to be concerned. Erik drew back after a second, his forehead against hers as he closed his eyes and gripped her cheeks in his hands.

"And I love you," he informed her, the sound gruff but full of emotion. "I love you, Annalise."

Smiling softly, Annalise moved her hand to his cheek, trying not to cry as she nodded.

"Then that's that."


	15. Chapter 15

Annalise didn't know if she thought that things would get easier once she told Erik that she loved him, but it didn't seem to work like that. Whilst Erik had been protective beforehand, he was taking it to another extreme. He scarcely let Annalise out of his sight on the entire journey to Charles's home in Westchester. Annalise had changed into a simple black dress as they made the drive to the airport, wiggling around in the seat of the car as she tried to preserve her modesty as she changed.

She grunted aloud as Erik continued driving, his sunglasses covering his eyes and the smug look they no doubt held. Annalise finally peeled the dress onto her body and reached around the back of it, her hands searching for the zip as Erik let out a chuckle at the sight of her and she glowered over to him.

"You try getting changed in a moving car," she challenged him and he held a hand up in defence as his other hand turned the wheel.

"You made it look so effortless," Erik teased her and she rolled her eyes at hearing him. "Honestly, Anna, I have never met anyone as elegant as you."

"And that's why you love me," Annalise continued to taunt him and he frowned before daring to glance her way for a second as she wondered if she had said something wrong to him.

"Do you intend to keep bringing that up?" Erik wondered and his lips arched at the corner slightly as she shrugged her shoulders and leaned across the seat towards him, daring to press her lips to the corner of his jaw as he continued driving.

"I've been in love with you since…maybe…the second time I slept with you," Annalise admitted and Erik almost looked smug at that admission. "I think you owe it to me to tell me that you love me at any given moment. I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing it."

Erik pulled the car over to the side, parking up as Annalise wondered what was going on. She frowned as Erik pulled his seatbelt from his body and moved over the bench of the car, his hand snaking behind Annalise's head, his fingers cupping the curve of it before his mouth descended onto hers, his other hand slowly running up and down her cheek, his fingers dancing along her pale skin. Annalise failed to complain as her own hands found Erik's hair and she moved until her front was pressed tightly against his.

"Okay," Annalise breathed heavily once Erik had moved back from her after a second, his hands still holding her close. "Well, I'm not complaining, but that was unexpected."

"Hmm," Erik mused, the hand on her cheek slowly tangling into her hair as she searched his stare. "There was something about your admission of love that I couldn't quite shake off."

She chuckled at hearing that and he shook his head slowly.

"It's true, Anna," Erik said, "but even back then I knew how you felt. I knew it. You pretended that we were both nothing exclusive…nothing serious…but I always felt that you wanted something more even though I could never offer you it…and I feel bad, Anna. I feel bad for even using you like I did…back when I never imagined feeling this way about you or wanting to be with you."

Annalise had to admit that was hard to hear. She had always imagined that Erik felt the same as she did from the start. To know that he didn't was a kick in the teeth, but he couldn't deny how he had truly felt.

"Then again," Erik whispered, his breath hot against her skin, "I must have felt something to keep coming back to you…and protect you…I think that, perhaps, I have loved you for longer than I have known. I'm not entirely one to understand my feelings."

"You don't say," Annalise teased him and he cut her off with a quick kiss again.

"We should get going," Erik whispered. "Charles will be wondering where we are if we are late to the airport."

"I suspect so," Annalise reluctantly agreed and with one final kiss he had moved back to his own seat to continue the drive to the airport.

….

"This place is ridiculous."

Annalise had been wandering around Charles's home, helping him peel the white sheets from the furniture to make it more homely. Charles pulled the shutters away from the window in the library where they working as everyone else moved in different rooms to clear up.

"Ridiculous in a good way or in an ostentatious way?" Charles wondered, his voice full of amusement as he asked the question from Annalise.

"Oh, in a good way," Annalise assured him. "Erik told me that this is your childhood home? Why did you leave it?"

"Nothing but memories I would rather have avoided," Charles admitted to her. "My childhood wasn't exactly full of joy until I met Raven. I had felt alone and my mother was never truly happy here. My parents were not entirely in love with each other."

Annalise began to fold the sheet in her hands, looking to Charles with a sad frown as she did so. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It is in the past," Charles promised her. "We have bigger things to worry about I suspect. I have no doubt that Shaw will intend to make a move before too long. He has made some dangerous moves in the past…having you brainwashed was one of them."

Annalise struggled to look at Charles as soon as he had said that. She still felt guilty about what she had done to Erik. She had tried to kill him because she was too weak to control her own mind. She hated herself for that, but there was nothing that she could do now. She only hoped that she was in control of her own mind.

"I still worry," Annalise admitted to Charles, placing the folded sheet on top of the small table in the corner of the room as she rested her hand on top of it. "I worry about him getting into my head again. If he did it before then who is to say he won't do it again? I know that he wants Erik dead…but…I came so close last time."

"But you didn't," Charles informed her, folding his arms over his chest. "You were fighting your actions all of the time. I think that shows how strong you are, Annalise. You did not go through with it."

"Because you stopped me," Annalise responded. "And Erik has been so quick to forgive me for it too."

"Well, I suspect Erik understands that you weren't in control of your actions," Charles declared. "If he thought anything else then he would let you know. Erik is not one to hold back on how he feels."

Annalise laughed at hearing that and moved through the room, tugging another white cloth from a piano. "You've noticed that he is particularly volatile?" Annalise wondered and Charles took his turn to chuckle.

"Only slightly," Charles responded. "I spoke with Moira about what he said to Emma when she was in the basement after you had tried to…well…you know."

"And what did she say?" Annalise wondered.

"Apparently he was ready to kill her for what she did to you," Charles declared. "There is no doubt that he loves you, Annalise. He trusts you because he loves you. That is all there is to it. But I worry for him."

Annalise began to fold the sheet as Charles took hold of one from a large lamp, coughing slightly at the dust that fell from it.

"How so?" Annalise wondered from him.

"He's full of rage and wants nothing more than revenge," Charles informed Annalise. "I worry about how he thinks too. I have argued with him once before about how humans see mutants…he believes that they will never be accepted, even though he is dating a human."

Annalise looked down to the ground for a moment, resting the folded cloth against her stomach and hugging it tightly. Charles watched Annalise with intrigue, knowing full well that she didn't entirely want to disagree with him on the matter or argue over it.

"I suppose humans haven't entirely been accepting of mutants," Annalise declared. "But I hope that will change over time."

"As do I," Charles nodded, "but I don't think that Erik sees it that way."

Shaking her head, Annalise placed the cloth on top of the other one. "Erik simply wants revenge for what happened to his mother," Annalise declared. "And I cannot blame him, Charles. I would want to kill the bastard too, but what you are saying…I don't know."

Charles took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I am saying that Erik's thoughts are dangerous," Charles admitted to her. "I am saying that I worry for what he might do if he gets revenge. Killing Shaw is wrong. I think it will set him off down a dangerous path."

Annalise shook her head. She shouldn't be talking about Erik like this behind his back. He deserved better.

"No," Annalise said. "I don't believe that, Charles. I won't believe it. Erik is not like Shaw. He doesn't think that humans should be wiped out…that they should be destroyed like Shaw thinks."

"But he thinks dangerously close to that," Charles warned her.

"Stop it," Annalise warned him. "Erik is not like that. I don't believe it, Charles. I know that you can see his thoughts, but I know him. I know him and I trust him. He would never think like Shaw."

Charles dropped the subject, knowing that it would do him no good to discuss this with Annalise. She seemed adamant that Erik was not the man who would want destruction.

Annalise left the room without a second word, her mind whirling as she moved through the mansion. She heard yells of laughter as she went, knowing that the other mutants were having fun tidying the house and probably causing chaos.

What had Charles just tried to tell her? Annalise didn't know what he was talking about. Erik had never spoken to her about him being the more evolved race. He had never spoken of his distaste for humans. Why was Charles saying that was what he thought? Annalise shook it from her mind, wanting to clear the entire conversation.

She soon came to find Erik in the room they had agreed to share, his arm above his head and resting on the wall by the window as he peered outside. Closing the door behind her, Annalise slowly moved towards him, slipping her arms around his waist and lay a kiss on the side of his neck as he moved his free arm by his side to move his hand to rest over hers.

"Everything alright?" Erik asked from her.

"Fine now," she told him, not even bothering to tell Erik what Charles had just told her.

When she was with him like this then she was content. She knew how ridiculous that made her sound, but she couldn't help it. Being with Erik and getting through this hell was all that she wanted.

Erik turned his head to the side, peering down to her as she strained on her toes to reach his lips with hers. Erik helped her, moving his head down to kiss her chastely.

"Anna," Erik whispered her name against her lips. "I…I need to ask you something."

"Hmm?" Anna wondered, peeling back from him as he took to sit on the window seat, dragging Annalise down into his lap.

"What is it?" she wondered from him in a small voice, her hand moving to his and he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I just…what do you want?" Erik asked. "When all of this is done then what do you want?"

Frowning, Anna moved again to peer up to him. "What do you mean?" she asked of him. "I thought that we were going to discuss this after everything with Shaw? I didn't think we were going to discuss this until then?"

"Well," Erik shrugged his shoulders. "I am going to discuss this now with you. I want to know, Annalise. Do you want a quiet life? A house? Children?"

Annalise shifted from Erik's lap then, sitting by his side as she moved a hand to his arm, frowning and arching a brow towards him.

"What has gotten into you?" she wondered from him. "I don't know, Erik. I haven't thought about it yet. I mean, we have bigger things to worry about, don't we? What has brought this on?"

"Because I don't know if I can give you it, Anna," he informed her. "I don't know anything about a normal life. I don't know how to be normal or how to give you what you might want. I'm not normal."

"Erik," Annalise complained. "I don't want to think about you being normal. I know you're not. You're…you have this amazing mutation and that does make you something else, but that doesn't mean that you can't give me what I want. I don't know what I want in the future. All I know is that here and now I want you, okay?"

Erik didn't look like that was okay. Annalise had nothing else to say to him on the matter. Truth be told, she didn't entirely know what she could say to him. She kept quiet and took a small, sharp breath before Erik nodded his head.

"I see."

"Do you?" she checked. "Look, Erik, I know that you have a lot going on in your mind…with Shaw…but you don't need to worry about us until he has gone."

"I do worry," Erik admitted. "You have no idea, Anna."

"Then let me know," Annalise urged him. "I'm here, Erik."

Shaking his head, Erik didn't want to concern her with his thoughts. He wasn't entirely certain of his own thoughts if he had to be honest. He had thought about what Shaw had said multiple times. It was what he always thought about. Nodding, Erik dared to wrap his arm around Annalise.

"I'm just tired, I think," Erik said, trying to excuse his actions. "A lot has happened and I don't know…it…I'm just tired," he repeated.

Nodding, Annalise pecked him on the cheek and rested against his side on the window seat. She closed her eyes as Erik did the same, both of them wondering what was going on.


	16. Chapter 16

Moving around the bedroom, Annalise tidied up the clothes that rested on the floor, strewed around in a messy manner. Erik was one who was tidy, continuously folding his clothes and placing them either in the cupboard or in the wardrobe. Yet Annalise never felt the need to be as tidy as Erik. Whenever she was dressing she dropped her nightgown on the floor and then discarded her clothes from that day on the floor when she changed at night.

"Have you seen Charles anywhere?"

Erik was out of breath as he poked his head around the bedroom door, his eyes wide as he looked to Annalise. She was sat on the floor, folding a jumper and dropping it into a suitcase. Erik had taken her shopping the week before and they had grabbed a range of clothes along with a suitcase, knowing that they couldn't stay with Charles forever. Since then she had simply lived out a suitcase.

"Does it look like I might have seen Charles anywhere?" Annalise wondered from the metal bender who looked at her with an arched brow and folded his arms over his chest before closing the door behind him.

"Someone's sarcastic," Erik informed her and she rolled her eyes before watching him take a seat on the edge of the bed, his hands folding together over his legs.

"Just on edge," Annalise mumbled, running a hand through her hair as Erik watched her with intrigue as she continued to fold her clothes and drop them into the case.

She finally stopped and clasped her hands onto her thighs that were covered in a thin black skirt that her white blouse was tucked into. She looked down to the ground before sniffing and running her hand underneath her nose. Looking back to Erik, she knew that he was watching her and wondering exactly what was going through her mind. The truth was that she wasn't entirely sure what was going through her mind. All she could do was worry about certain situations.

There was Shaw. There was everything that Charles had told her. There was her life back home. She would surely have lost her job by now. Her parents would also be wondering where she was. She hadn't spoken to anyone. She had abandoned everything back home because of Erik. But the issue was that she would do it again. She would go through it all again so long as she could be with Erik and keep him safe.

"I thought that I was coping really well," Annalise informed the man on the bed as she remained on the floor, looking up to him with her wide eyes. "I mean, we are doing really well, aren't we?"

Frowning, Erik's arms moved across his chest as he wondered exactly what Annalise was about to get at. He nodded his head slowly and then moved upwards, standing up and moving to the small bench that was just behind Annalise. He perched on it and allowed her to drape her arms over his lap, her chin on her forearm as she peered up to him.

"We're both doing okay," Erik told her.

"For now," Annalise declared. "I just know that there is going to be something that happens, Erik. We cannot stay this peaceful for much longer, can we? Shaw's going to come and ruin everything."

"The bubble will be burst," Erik said and Annalise frowned. "And it will burst, but it doesn't have to change anything, Annalise. Once I have finished with Shaw then everything will be fine. Anyway, the other day you were telling me not to worry about things until we have finished with Shaw."

Rolling her eyes, Annalise moved to stand up and she sat down on the bench next to Erik, allowing the metal bender to wrap his arms around her waist as she held on tightly to him and closed her eyes. Erik looked down with concern before moving his arms around her, his hands moving up and down against her back.

"I'm hypocritical," Annalise muttered back to Erik. "I don't think I'm worried about the future. I mean, the prospect of marrying you actually makes me so happy, but I'm just worried about us getting to that stage. I'm just worried about Shaw suddenly turning up."

"I won't let him touch you," Erik promised her after a moment, moving his hand to brush her hair from her face as she pulled back to look to him. His thumbs roamed over her cheekbones and she held onto his shoulders. "He won't get into your head again. I can promise you that, Annalise."

Annalise let out a small laugh at hearing that, her eyes taking in Erik's strong features as her hand moved up to his neck, cupping it gently as her other hand continued to hold his shoulder.

"Do you still not understand, Erik?" Annalise dared to wonder from him. "It's not me that I am worried about. It is you."

Erik did laugh at hearing that and he stood up, offering her his hand. She took it without thinking, her hand dropping into his as she dared to move upwards and stand opposite Erik.

"Then let's go for a walk," Erik suggested. "Forget about everything for an hour or so?"

"Away from the mansion?"

"If you want."

"I thought you were looking for Charles?"

"Charles can wait. Do you want to get out of here or not?" Erik asked her lightly and she swatted him on the arm lightly before moving to grab hold of her leather jacket.

"I'll take that as a yes," Erik declared.

….

Wandering through the park, Annalise kept her arm laced inside of Erik's, the pair of them ambling aimlessly down the pathway. Annalise kept her eyes closed tightly for a few seconds once they paused to observe the lake, allowing the breeze to ruffle through her hair and cool her face down as she leant against Erik.

"What is it that you and Charles discuss over those late night chess matches anyway?" Annalise suddenly wondered from Erik as she dared to take hold of his hand and begin walking again.

"A range of things really," he responded, his leather jacket squeaking over his form as he moved slowly. "We talk about the progress of the mutants were training and how we could defeat Shaw. I mean, it's all pretty boring stuff really. Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason," she shrugged her shoulders. "Raven was wondering too. I was talking to her the other day and she's worried about everything, but she's also…well…I don't know if she would want me to tell you," she trailed off and kept silent for a moment, pursing her lips shut as Erik looked to her with a nod.

"What is it?" Erik asked.

"If I tell you then you have to promise me you won't mention it to Charles, okay?"

"God, are we keeping secrets now?" Erik wondered.

"If I tell you then we are," Annalise warned him as they turned down into another lane. "Besides, Raven told me in confidence. I think only me and Hank know."

"I didn't know you were so close to Raven," Erik muttered.

"Yeah, well, I need someone to talk to when you're playing chess," Annalise responded and Erik rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Raven told me that she is tired of having to hide from society…she feels as though she can't be herself. I tried to understand, but she was more concerned because I was normal and I wouldn't understand. I told her I did, but I guess I don't really. I just told her that I think it's more important for her to be who she is."

Erik chuckled then and settled down onto a bench as a group of kids walked past them, laughing and yelling jokes as they went. She was quiet for a moment, watching them in their carefree manner as Erik's eyes settled onto Annalise.

He had already told Annalise what he thought of this entire situation. He had sat there and discussed it with her and she had told him not to be ridiculous, but he was being honest. Humans would never be accepting of mutants and Raven knew that too.

"People would be worried," Erik said, trying to stay impassive on the matter, knowing that he didn't want to get into an argument over it right now. "They don't understand mutants."

"But what if they were educated?" Annalise suddenly wondered. "What if humans came to see that mutants weren't all too different from them? I mean, you have emotions, yes?"

"Well I told you I loved you," Erik said, trying to stir the conversation away from Raven and Annalise did smile then. She moved upwards, her lips pressing against Erik's as the metal bender moved a hand to cup the back of her head.

But the romantic moment didn't last for longer then that. Annalise was back onto Raven, her head moving out of Erik's grip.

"Sweet," she whispered, patting his chest. "But you know what I mean, Erik. Humans might come to accept you if they knew about you and realised you were no different to them…minus the powers and everything…"

"Mutations," Erik corrected her. "And I doubt it would work, but it is a nice ideal."

"Why should it not work?" Annalise asked, blinking profusely. "Don't tell me it is because humans wouldn't understand."

"They wouldn't," Erik bluntly spoke. "Besides, why are we talking about this? Didn't we argue about this the other day?"

"We did," Annalise said. "But I thought that…I didn't think that was your real opinion…even when Charles…"

Annalise trailed off as soon as she mentioned Charles's name, knowing full well that she should have kept quiet. Charles had come to her in confidence. He had come to her and she had defended Erik, telling Charles that Erik had simply been angry that evening. That was all it had been.

"Even when Charles, what?" Erik demanded to know from her.

"Nothing," Annalise lied, looking away from Erik as the metal bender grew with anger and he took hold of her by the chin and dragged her head back so that their gazes met again.

"What, Annalise?" Erik demanded from her. "Has Charles said something to you?"

"No," Annalise lied, wondering how it had gone from a calm and relaxing walk to a heating up argument. "He just said that he was worried about you. It was nothing malicious, Erik. You know that we would never be malicious."

Frowning, Erik dropped his hand from her chin and his eyes narrowed as he glared towards her. "What did he say?"

"He just said that he was worried about how you viewed humans," Annalise shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "But I told him that he had nothing to be worried about. You were just angry with Shaw when you said those things about humans being insignificant compared to mutants."

"Was I?" Erik wondered from her. "And does Charles often worry about me to you? Or do you go to him?"

"What?" Annalise demanded from him, shifting back on the bench, her hands behind her as she kept herself upright, her palms resting on the wooden bench. "Don't turn this onto me. I defended you, Erik. I told Charles he had nothing to be worried about. I thought…I thought that you didn't actually think those things-"

"-Even though they are true?" Erik asked, knowing that an argument was unavoidable. "Mutants are more evolved than humans."

"But not superior," Annalise contradicted. "You know what? I'm not having this discussion with you, Erik. I'm not talking about this and I'm not arguing in the middle of a park."

"So where do you want to argue?" Erik asked from her.

"Nowhere!" she yelled at him with anger. "I don't want to argue anywhere with you, Erik. I don't even want to talk to you about this."

"But you wanted to talk to Charles?"

"Do you listen to anything I tell you?" Annalise hissed and stood up as Erik moved too, refusing to let her tower above him as he moved his hands behind his back onto his hips, pushing his leather jacket out of the way.

"I didn't go to Charles," Annalise snarled. "He came to me and I told him he was wrong, but I'm wondering if he was right now."

Annalise didn't want to look at Erik anymore. Instead she turned around with haste and moved away from Erik and down the path back towards the car park. She didn't slow down, her strides as wide and as fast as possible. But Erik was just as fast and he caught up with her, walking one step ahead and looking behind to watch Annalise.

She kept quiet, her lips pursed as she waited for Erik to speak first. She doubted he would. He was just as stubborn as she was.

"I'm not doing this," Annalise suddenly hissed at Erik. "I'm not arguing over this. Do you understand me?"

"Neither am I," Erik replied with a snarl. "If you want to talk to me about Charles then go ahead, Annalise."

"And if you think the entire human race should be wiped out then you go ahead to Shaw. It seems you both have the same ideals."

Erik turned then, moving his hands in front of him to grab Annalise. Wrapping his arms around her upper arms, he stopped her from moving away from him before she dared to move her own hand to collide with his cheek, slapping him forcefully until he was too stunned to keep hold of her.

Storming off, Annalise made it back to the car before she felt Erik's hands on her again, turning her to face him as she looked at the red mark on his cheek. But she had not expected what came next.

Taking her by surprise, Annalise could do nothing as the metal bender moved his lips onto hers, his body pressing against hers in the empty car park as his hand moved down to her skirt and he pulled it upwards on her legs as she looked around, breaking from his lips, wondering if anyone was watching them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Annalise dared to ask from him as he grabbed her other thigh, hiking her upwards until he had her legs around his waist.

"What does it look like?" Erik demanded from her. "Do you not see, Annalise? Do you not understand? I don't care about anything else except for you. Nothing else matters to me except you. And if I have to show you then I will."

"By screwing me in a car park?" Annalise hissed to him and he gave her that cocky smirk that often melted her insides.

"The backseat is always an option," Erik told her and she rolled her eyes before she tugged on his hair, pulling his neck back as he grunted out in pain at the sudden movement.

If he was going to play this game then so be it. Moving her lips to his neck, Anna bit down harshly, stopping him from speaking as he groaned and she spoke, her hands still tugging his hair.

"And you are all that matters to me right now," Annalise informed him. "So if you want me on that backseat then you better get this into your head: I don't want Charles. I don't want to hear you talk like Shaw. I don't want to argue like this again."

Letting him look back up to her, Erik's gaze met hers as he dropped her thighs and let her stand again, despite all of his weight pressing her against the car. Nodding his head, he dared to move his hands up her sides until he cupped her neck tenderly.

"Got it," Erik assured her.

Nodding, Annalise tried to play coy before opening the backdoor.

"Then prove it," she challenged him.

And Erik loved a challenge.

…

Fixing her blouse, Annalise continued to pant for breath as Erik continued kissing her neck. She allowed him, trying to keep her mind on the task at hand as the metal bender remained fully dressed having not even broken a sweat. Erik chewed down on her flesh and her eyes rolled back into her head as his hand went to try and pull her shirt out of the waistband of her skirt.

"No," she swatted him away. "We've already done it once in here. We can't do it again. We need to get back to the mansion."

"You're such a spoil sport," Erik mumbled against her skin before he saw her climb from the backseat and to the front. Grinning, his hand swatted her backside as she made the motion and she yelped as Erik shrugged underneath her glare.

"Just drive this car, Lensherr," Annalise demanded from him and Erik moved to the driver's seat, placing his sunglasses onto his head as he began to drive, watching on as Annalise rolled the window down, her cheeks still red as Erik dared to move a hand out to her, resting it on her thigh.

"Oh no," Annalise replied, trying to move his hand from her thigh. "You are not doing _that _whilst we are driving."

Rolling his eyes, Erik chuckled before moving his hand to take hers.

"I wasn't think about doing that. If I was going to do that then I would do it when I have you spread out in bed for me."

"Erik!" Annalise snapped and he laughed, but she laughed along with him, unable to stay mad at him as she kissed the back of his hand.

They lapsed into silence then, both of them obviously having forgotten about their previous argument. If only they knew it was to resurface soon enough.

…

A/N: Do let me know what you think!


	17. Chapter 17

Annalise sat at the end of the bed, her legs bent as she kept her chin on her kneecaps. Erik was finishing changing from his gym gear into a white shirt and chinos as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Annalise had been stuck inside for the entire day while the mutants changed. She had done her best to get involved and help Charles, but she had been unable to help as much as she wanted to. She had no special powers. She was only good for making dinner.

"Are you okay?" Erik asked, sensing that she was in a world of her own before he sat down on the bed next to her and dared to drape his arm around her shoulders. She said nothing for a moment before nodding her head and finally looking up to him.

"Fine," she said. "I've just been stuck in here all day. I really need to get out a bit more. I just feel useless."

"So long as you are safe, I don't care if you feel useless," Erik told her and Annalise moved from his arm, dropping it back by his side as she stretched and stood up, refusing to look back to Erik as annoyance took hold of her.

"That's not the point," Annalise responded. "The point is that I should be able to do something to help. Every time I go and see Charles I feel more of a hindrance than a help."

"Well there's not much you can do, Anna," Erik shrugged, not sure why she was getting annoyed about that. "I mean, you do enough really. You keep everyone sane when they need you. Do you think that people here would be able to function if they didn't have you to speak to?"

"What are you talking about?" Annalise demanded, picking up her thin brown cardigan and shrugging it on top of her black dress.

"Raven…Charles…me…" Erik trailed off. "We all need to talk, Anna. I think Raven would have gone mad without you to talk to about Hank. You help to keep us slightly normal when everything around us isn't."

Annalise sighed and Erik made a move to stand and take hold of her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder as his chest went flush with her back and she placed her hands on top of his. She moved to rest her head backwards against his shoulder and Erik quickly kissed her neck lightly. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

"Sorry," she said honestly to him. "I know you have a lot on your plate without having to deal with me."

"I can always deal with you," he promised her, kissing her quickly. "Now come on, we have a couple of hours to go for a wander before Charles wants to do more training."

….

Annalise finished serving the lasagne later on that day as the rowdy teenagers continued arguing amongst themselves. Moira sat at the head of the table along with Charles while Annalise sat at the other end, Erik next to her as she finished serving the lasagne with Raven.

"Do we have to eat with everyone?" Erik complained, even though he was the one who was the furthest away from the commotion. Raven settled next to Annalise as the human turned to look to Erik and she gave him an arched brow along with a silencing glare.

"This is Charles's home," she told him. "I think we should just be happy that we are here and you get to eat my delicious home cooked food."

Erik chuckled before picking up his fork and tucking into the meal. Annalise watched him take his first bite before she ate hers, tucking her hair behind her ear and chewing delicately as Sean accused Hank of sabotaging the wings he had made him so that he fell from the window instead of flew. Annalise ignored the bickering when she felt Erik's hand on her thigh.

She turned up to look at him as he continued to eat the lasagne with just his fork.

"You know," Annalise spoke in a low voice to him, "we've been together for so long, but I don't think I have ever cooked you anything, despite you coming to my home so many times."

"Most times we didn't have time to cook," Erik told her.

"No," Annalise agreed, keeping her voice low so that only Erik could hear her. "But it might be nice if we could change that in the future."

Erik picked his water up and took a long drink, his brow arching as he gave her his usual smirk. She watched him with intrigue and he dared to move his hand to her cheek, his thumb swiping away the sauce that had caught there.

"You want to play the housewife now?" Erik wondered from her and she scoffed before shaking her head.

"I don't think so," she responded. "I quite enjoy working, thank you. I'm not cut out for a life of staying at home and waiting for you to return home from work."

"What an intriguing scenario you make in your mind," Erik informed her and she chuckled lowly in response.

"Annalise," Charles called out her name from the head of the table and everyone's gaze turned to the woman next to Erik. "This is amazing food. Surely you cooked this. Raven can barely make toast."

Everyone laughed then before Raven hit Charles around the arm. Annalise continued to laugh, looking to Raven with a small smile before she took another mouthful of the food.

"Well, you know, Raven did help," Annalise defended the girl she saw as her friend. "Besides, there's still time for her to learn how to cook. She's still too young to be worrying over cooking."

"Thank you!" Raven exclaimed, her hands moving high into the air in a sweeping dramatic motion. "See, Charles. I have my life to live before I need to know how to cook. Besides, you're not exactly a seasoned chef."

"Excuse me," Charles chuckled.

The laughter continued to ring along the table as Annalise listened with intrigue. There was so much bickering and taunting, but it felt normal. It felt as though it would be wrong to be serious, despite the situation they found themselves in. Annalise knew that they should talk more about Shaw, but no one wanted to. No one wanted to think that they would have to face him. It was inevitable.

Annalise placed her cutlery on the plate once she had finished eat and only then did she feel Erik move his hand onto her arm. She looked across to him and saw him move to stand up. She followed him after quickly excusing themselves from the table. Erik kept his hand on the small of her back as they wandered to the yard, the sun slowly setting over the grounds in front of them.

Erik placed both his hands on the stone railing, holding it and rocking back and forth on his heels. Annalise leant against the stone, her thighs brushing against the calloused material as she looked up and watched him.

"What's going on?" Annalise wondered from him.

"Nothing," Erik assured her. "I just felt as though I would go mad if I had to sit in there for any longer."

Annalise laughed at that part, shaking her head and rolling her eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself, narrowing her gaze as the sun slowly sunk over Erik's head.

"You don't appreciate the kids' teasing?" Annalise asked and Erik chuckled.

"I find them a bit annoying, but okay in small doses," Erik responded. "I know that they are trying to help, but I just worry that they will be more of a hindrance than a help. They don't realise how much power Shaw and his mutants have."

"You were all for them helping," Annalise responded. "Don't tell me you feel worried for them."

Scoffing, Erik moved an arm to wrap around Annalise's waist, pulling her closer to him and letting his fingers press into her skin.

"Slightly," Erik replied. "I mean, I have their backs, but after this is over we will all go our separate ways again. I just know how powerful Shaw…Schmidt…is."

"But there are more of you and Charles has been training them." Annalise tried to remain optimistic. "Besides, we need to get back inside soon. Charles was talking about going training this evening with you."

"After that heavy meal?" Erik checked and Annalise rolled her eyes.

"I think you can handle it."

Annalise moved from Erik's grip and began to wander forwards, Erik following her as she went. It was only as she went did Erik stand still and watch her go. He kept silent, his gaze narrow and his mouth turning dry as he felt the words form on the tip of his tongue. She turned around after a few moments, wondering where Erik had gotten to. She arched a brow and remained patient while Erik continued to stare at her.

"I don't want to leave you." Erik suddenly declared and Annalise let her brow furrow. "I know what I said the other day. I know what I said and I didn't mean it. When this is other than I don't want to leave you. I might not want the house or children, but I want to stay with you."

Annalise remained silent as Erik watched her, wondering what she was going to say in response to him. He had thought that she was going to be happy, but she seemed confused. She seemed worried. But then her face broke into a smile once the words he had said processed in her mind.

"I want that too," she declared and Erik gave her a stern nod with a slim smile. "I've always wanted that."

….

"We move tomorrow?"

Annalise was sat with Charles and Erik as the two men sat across from each other, the chess table in the middle of them. Annalise was perched on the arm of the Erik's chair, her arm around his shoulders as Erik held a glass of brandy. He had only just seen Annalise as she had spent the day in her room trying to sort out things at home. Her flat had bills that needed paying and her work were getting suspicious of where she was.

"We think Shaw will be in the middle of the conflict between the Soviet Union and the Americans," Erik informed Annalise. "He wants to cause the most amount of damage and that is where he will do it. We need to move tomorrow and stop him."

"Got it," Annalise declared. "So when do we leave tomorrow?"

Charles and Erik went silent as Annalise looked between them, trying to weigh up what they were thinking. But it didn't take her long to get into their minds. She knew what they were thinking.

"I am coming with you," Annalise challenged them, moving her arm away from Erik.

"Unfortunately there is not enough room in the plane," Charles was the one to say. "Besides, it will be dangerous. You will be much safer staying here-"

"-No." Annalise interrupted. "How can you ask me to stay here while Erik…while everyone is in danger," she quickly corrected herself. "I can help. I am not useless."

"No one said you are," Charles said, holding his hands up in defence while Erik remained silent. "But you need to stay here."

"And do you intend to pipe up?" Annalise demanded from Erik, hitting him on the shoulder and he turned to look up to her.

"Charles is right," Erik responded. "I don't think you should come with us."

Annalise huffed at hearing that before standing up. She ignored Charles as he called after her. Shutting the door, Annalise made her way to the kitchen, cursing under her breath and keeping her gaze on the floor. She said nothing before coming into the kitchen. She only looked up when she heard fingers drumming on the kitchen table and her stomach churned at the sight before her.

"I see you didn't complete your mission, my dear," the man at the table said. "Let's see if we can put you to use now."

….

A/N: Let me know what you think!


	18. Chapter 18

Annalise tried to shriek for help, but she failed miserably. As soon as she opened her mouth he was up, his hand covering her mouth as his arm snaked around her waist, holding her tightly to his body as she began to fight back, pushing and shoving as much as possible. She kept trying to fight him as he pushed her into a wall, hearing her grunt in pain at the impact.

"Now, now, Annalise," he whispered. "Why would you bother to try and fight me? You're nothing but a weak human."

His words caused anger to boil up inside of her and she fought even harder, biting down on his hand as hard as possible. He snarled in pain as his mouth relented and Annalise yelled loudly.

"Erik!"

His name echoed throughout the room as Annalise did her best to kick Shaw away from her. But the man in the helmet was quick; his hand was in her hair, dragging her backwards into the room before she spotted the red creature before her. Shaking her head, she shouted for Erik once again, but it was too late. The red creature took hold of Shaw and before she knew it she had disappeared.

…

Annalise had been knocked out as soon as they teleported into the small room she hardly recognised. She came around after a while, her eyes opening and her head pounding as she felt something sticky on her forehead. She tried to reach her hand to her head to wipe it away, but she failed miserably. Looking down, she noted how her hands and upper body had been tied to a chair.

Her body shook as she watched Shaw moved around the room. It was well decorated with a desk and sofas along with shelves stacked with books and expensive looking ornaments. She said nothing as Shaw took a seat across from her, his legs folding over each other as he kept hold of his whiskey glass.

"So," he said, shrugging once as a smug grin moved on his face, "you didn't exactly do as we had asked last time we met, Anna."

"Yeah," Annalise responded. "I mean; I just didn't really feel like killing Erik."

Shaw chuckled then, pointing to Annalise as she looked around, trying to work out if she could see where she was, but there were no windows.

"You're funny," he told her. "No wonder Erik is so taken with you. He's so serious, isn't he? So serious and boring."

"And you wonder why?" Annalise demanded. "You murdered his mother in front of him."

"I made him the man that he is today," Shaw quickly replied and she shook her head at him, unable to believe what he was saying to her. "I made him the strong and powerful man that he is right now. Without me Erik would be nothing. He would be a weedy boy with no powers. He would never have bagged himself you."

"I love Erik despite anything," Annalise snapped. "Don't you dare claim that you made him. Erik would have been a great man…he is a great man…and that has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the way his mother raised him."

"Do you know how many men he has killed without showing remorse?" Shaw asked from her. "How many men he killed because he was looking for me. And he did it with no remorse."

Shaking her head, Annalise refused to listen to his poisonous words. She glared at him, the anger inside of her building up with each passing moment as she dared to try and worm free of the ropes that were binding her.

"He killed them because they had hurt him," Annalise said. "What? Are you trying to scare me? I know Erik better than you ever could."

"Oh, I'm counting on it," Shaw replied, draining his liquid. "I'm counting on him making a brash decision and coming to get you back. He loves you, doesn't he? He truly does love you."

"He's not foolish," Annalise said. "He will know that you intend to take me and do something rash. He's not foolish. He knows how to stop you."

"No," Shaw said. "I know that he intends to join with the other mutants and try to stop me from creating another World War tomorrow. I know that."

Her brow furrowed and she clenched her fists, unable to believe what she was hearing from him. Shaking her head back and forth, Annalise gaped as he chuckled and stood up to pour himself another drink.

"I heard him speaking with you and Charles before you ran out," he informed her. "Truly, it is amazing…the things that he tells you...confides in you. So he does want to be with you after all? You're not just his bed warmer."

Keeping silent, Annalise refused to let Shaw get a rise out of her. She took a deep breath as Shaw moved towards her and she kept her breath in, unable to breath out as Shaw leant down and his hands ran up her bare thighs, pushing her skirt above her knees as she watched him.

"How would he feel if you submitted to another?" Shaw whispered, reaching over to whisper in her ear. "If I took you for my own like I would have done weeks ago when you were lonely and desperate."

"Get away from me," Annalise said.

"I'd never take you against your will," Shaw told her. "That isn't how I act, but I can erase all your memories. Emma can wipe Erik from your mind when I get her back. You'd not know any different, but he would know. He wouldn't want you then, would he?"

"Get away from me!" Annalise screamed this time and Shaw chuckled as he moved away from her and stood up, picking his drink up to sip on it again.

"Don't worry," Shaw said. "I have no intention of touching you. No, it will be much better to lay your bruised and battered body at Erik's feet when he comes tomorrow."

"No," Annalise said, doing her best to stop her tears from flowing. "Why? If you made Erik the man he is today then why are you hurting him?"

"Do you plead for yourself or for him?" Shaw wondered. "Because humans are very pathetic. You know that."

"No," Annalise said. "Erik…he…"

"You want to know why I'm doing this? Because I want him to see that he is still strong without anyone else. I want him to see how weak humans are. Erik has potential. He could join us and live as the more evolved human. He just needs to see that humans are pathetic and the way to do that is to show him…starting with you."

…..

Erik had been anxious all day and his irritating attitude had only increased as the day went on. He had struggled to do anything but pace and let his anger get the best of him. That bastard had Annalise. He had taken her from right underneath his nose and he had no idea what he had done to her. Erik's anticipation to save her kept on growing.

"Think about her." Charles's words echoed into his ear as Erik stood on the wheel of the plane, dangling outside of it while he searched for Shaw's submarine.

The mutants had set off that morning on their quest to stop Shaw from destroying everything they knew. They had said nothing to Erik most of the morning, knowing that he was angry. He had destroyed his entire bedroom in the mansion out of rage and Charles had spent hours trying to persuade him not to rush off to Shaw.

And now he was here. He was hanging outside of a plane, trying to lift a submarine. Erik kept on thinking of Annalise with each passing moment, reaching that point in between anger and serenity. His Annalise. He shook his head slowly as he struggled to lift the submarine, but after moments of concentration he felt the building of something inside of him.

Charles was silent as he watched his friend lift the submarine out of the water. He let his eyes widen and a smile form on his face as Erik moved the submarine through the air.

"Drop it on the beach!" Charles called to Erik. "But be careful. Annalise might be in there."

Erik nodded as Hank accelerated the plane towards the beach and the submarine followed them. Nothing prepared them for the sudden hurricane moving towards the plane, shaking the vehicle as Erik's grip on the submarine began to slip away from him.

"Erik!" Charles yelled down to him. "Take hold of my hand! The plane is going to crash!"

"Just a moment!" Erik said back. "I almost have it."

The plane continued to violently shake until Hank called out that they had lost all control of it. Erik finally grabbed hold of Charles's hand and the telepath pulled him up into the plane as they began to crash. Yells of fear took off all around the plane as Erik helped to pin Charles against the ceiling to stop him from tumbling around. They landed with a thud and Charles dropped down with Erik from the ceiling as the metal bender struggled to get up.

"Erik," Charles called out to him, stopping him from going anywhere.

"He has her in there," Erik snapped, pointing to the submarine that had crash-landed. "He has her and I am not waiting for any longer."

"I know," Charles said. "But I cannot see him. I think he has a hidden room that I cannot break into. You need to go with others. Shaw's mutants are waiting on the beach."

Nodding, Erik stepped from the plane, the yellow suit he wore slightly ripped on his knee as he stumbled out. He looked around the beach and there was the sight of Azazel, Riptide and Angel. Erik moved his hand in front of him, a piece of the submarine ripping from its wall and knocking Riptide from his feet as the other two mutants moved towards Hank and Alex.

Running with as much power as he could, Erik rushed towards the submarine before leaping into it, not bothering to look around for anyone as he rushed through the rooms before stepping into a living room that had been destroyed, the lights hanging down from the ceiling and flickering.

"I cannot see him or Annalise," Charles informed Erik. "Is there anywhere else to go in there?"

"No," Erik snapped, turning around to look for anything. "He's not here with her! I can't find him…damn it!"

Erik froze as soon as he heard a whooshing sound come from behind him. He spun around slowly, his head whirling to look at the sight before him. Saying nothing, his jaw instantly clenched and his hands balled into fists at the sight he was seeing.

There stood Shaw in a glass mirrored room, a podium before him. But that was not the sight Erik saw. The sight Erik saw was Annalise on the floor, her body bruises and battered, her eyes closed and her body curled in on itself. Erik moved with haste towards her, unable to see any breath escape her or her chest moving. He bent down to her and took hold of her hand inside of his, his other hand moving to her neck to feel for a pulse, but his shaking fingertips couldn't locate anything.

"She's been like that for some time, I have to say," Shaw informed Erik. "I'm beginning to wonder if she's breathing, however."

Looking to her face, Erik knew that he had to move with haste. It was either revenge on Shaw or saving Annalise that Erik had to choose between.

…

A/N: Let me know what you think!


	19. Chapter 19

Erik kept his hand holding onto Annalise's hand as he urged for her to breath. He couldn't hear Charles inside of his head anymore so he had no way to communicated with the telepath. Erik looked down to Anna, his other hand brushing her hair from her face as he dared to peer back to Shaw, any sign of weakness or tenderness gone from his stare. Picking his gaze back up from Annalise, Erik moved with haste, his hand in front of him as he pulled any metal pipes from the ceiling and moved them to Shaw.

But the man bounced them off of his body, glass shattering around him and the rest of them.

"I can feel the anger inside of you," Shaw informed Erik. "I can feel the hatred deep inside of you…everything…and all for her…all because of what I did to her and your mother. You might be strong, Erik, but you are also weak. You are too weak to protect the ones you love."

Erik's rage continued to build up then as he continued to destroy the room they stood in. He needed to destroy Shaw before he could save Annalise. There would be no chance of the mutant letting them go. Erik knew what he had to do.

"Erik! I can hear you!" Charles called out in Erik's head. "Keep going."

"_I need help," _Erik said in his mind. _"I need someone to come here and take Annalise. He's hurt her…she's not breathing, Charles…come…"_

Erik heard nothing more from the telepath as he continued to try and fight Shaw, but the elder man was quicker. In a moment he had Erik pressed up against the wall, the metal pipes Erik had tried to fling out of his way were only coming back to him and pressing him against the wall. There was no winning.

"Look at her," Shaw whispered, motioning to Annalise. "She was very spirited for a human, Erik. You can believe that, can't you? I mean; you know her."

"Stop talking about her," Erik demanded from Shaw. "You don't know anything about her."

"I know enough," Shaw promised him. "I know that she dotes on you like a snivelling lovesick puppy…I mean…all those weeks ago when I dated her…even then she was moping after you. It's pathetic really. No doubt she would have let me bed her though. So needy for affection."

Erik fought back harder then and Shaw chuckled before looking to Annalise.

"But you won't need her if you join me, Erik….if you understand how weak humans are and how you can do so much more without them…how we can be the dominant race. Deep down you know that to be true. I know that you do."

Erik shook his head slowly, refusing to listen to him for much longer. Thankfully he didn't have to. The metal against his body seemed to ease for a moment and Erik moved his hand to remove Shaw's helmet from his head. Thankfully Charles had turned up when he was needed and Erik saw Shaw freeze as the metal pipes dropped from his body. Erik looked to Shaw as Charles remained stood in the submarine after hearing the plea from Erik for help.

"Get her," Charles demanded from Erik. "You need to get her to safety."

Charles kept his fingers against his temple as Shaw remained under his control.

"No," Erik said, moving to Annalise's side until he had his arm wrapped around her waist and he had picked her up into his arms, tilting her to the side so that her head lolled against his shoulder. "I want to be the one to kill him, Charles."

"There will be no killing," Moira's voice came from nowhere as she appeared behind Charles. "We will take him in for questioning."

"No," Erik snarled. "He killed my mother. He hurt Annalise. He deserves this."

"You are no killer," Charles told his friend.

"You do not know me," Erik replied, his gaze set firmly on Shaw as he felt the coin in his pocket grew heavier and heavier with each passing moment. He said nothing for a few moments as he dared to pull the coin from his pocket using his mind. He didn't need his hands. He could extract his revenge now.

"I know that you are a good man," Charles responded, his voice harsh and full of emotion. "I know that you are a good man who loves the woman in his arms more than anything. You love her more than revenge. You need her more than revenge. You need to take her to safety and forget about revenge, Erik."

"I can have both." Erik spoke and Charles was about to ask what he meant, but he soon saw.

The coin floated towards Shaw and Charles called out for Erik to stop him, but it didn't work. The coin moved with haste and Charles yelled out loud in pain as it pierced the skin of Shaw's forehead with haste. Charles dropped Shaw from his control, the pain too much for him as the coin came out the other side of Shaw's head.

It dropped to the floor and they all heard it roll on the ground before Shaw's body collapsed behind it. Erik kept his mouth agape as he watched Shaw fall to the ground and his eyes began to tear up.

"What have you done?" Moira demanded from Erik, storming over to him as Erik brushed her aside and moved with Annalise in his grip. "Erik, we're CIA! You cannot just kill-"

"-I can and I did," Erik snapped back at her while Charles looked to the man he classed as one of his closest friends. He knew full well that Erik's rage had taken over. "I am not CIA."

"But you just murdered someone," Moira said and Charles shook his head, knowing full well that Erik was in no mood for Moira's complaints.

Erik ignored her and made his way onto the beach, still holding Annalise tightly to him as he struggled on the sand to make his way across the landscape before him. But he didn't get far. He hardly got anywhere.

"Erik!" Charles yelled and the metal bender turned his head around as the telepath rushed towards him and the other mutants lined up along the beach, turning their gaze to the warship in the ocean before them.

"What?" Erik demanded. "I need to get her to a hospital."

"No," Charles shook his head. "You won't get anywhere, Erik…the missiles…they're turning them on us…"

"No," Erik said. "They can't…I need to get away…I need to get away with her, Charles."

"Erik, listen to me, there is no escaping here. There is no getting away so long as their guns are pointed towards us. If you want her to live then we need to stop them first. Do you understand me?"

Charles could see the fear rise inside of Erik's face at the realisation that there would be no escaping from what they were facing. Instead he peered down to Annalise as she rested in his arms, his hand covered in blood as he moved to lower her on the floor, cradling her in his lap. His blood covered hand moved to stroke her cheek, brushing her hair from her face before he bent down to press his lips to her forehead.

"Keep breathing," he whispered to her. "Annalise, keep breathing. You keep going. Listen to me…just don't give up…please…"

"Erik," Charles warned him and the metal bender peered up and looked to the edge of the beach where the ships sat. All the mutants, including Shaw's cronies, were lined up, looking out to the sea.

"No," Erik shook his head, feeling the guns in the ocean turning towards them. Moving his hand that wasn't cradling Annalise, he let his palm extend, his fingers pointing to the ocean.

He kept his eyes peeled as the missiles moved towards him, shooting from the ships. Erik watched them as they moved towards the beach, the power inside of him surging, but he struggled to keep his concentration on the sight before him as he heard her suddenly speak. Her voice was weak, but he was certain that she had spoken. Peering down, he could see her looking up to him, her eyes nothing but narrow slits as she tried to move a hand up to his face, almost as though she was trying to see that he was real.

"Erik!" Charles was the one to yell as he saw the missiles still advancing towards them.

"Erik," Annalise whispered this time. "You're here."

"Erik!" Charles yelled again and Erik nodded down to her.

"I'm always here," he promised, kissing her softly before he looked back to the ocean, his gaze harsh as the missiles stopped just shy of the beach.

Charles and Moira stood to the side of Erik, looking on with relief as they dangled in the air. Yet Erik could feel the anger inside of him grow. He could feel how he wanted nothing more than to destroy the men who were keeping him from getting Annalise to safety. He wanted to kill them. He wanted to hurt them as he was hurting right then.

"Erik," Charles spoke his name again, but this time in a warning tone. "They have families…children…they are just me. Do not do this."

Erik continued turning the missiles, unable to do stop himself.

"They're just following orders," Charles urged and then Erik truly snapped.

His gaze turned to Charles. "I've been at the mercy of men just following order…no more…"

As he allowed himself to turn the missiles fully, he launched them back towards the ships as he felt Annalise stir in his arms before her hand finally took hold of his cheek, turning his gaze down to her. She looked to him, her head shaking back and forth as her eyes began to water.

"Don't," she whispered up to him. "Please."

Erik continued to watch her, but he kept his arm stretched in front of him. But as he watched Annalise, he didn't notice Charles take hold of him by the arm, pulling it down and stopping him from moving any further. Erik grumbled loudly at the motion as Charles kept his hand behind his back.

"Stop it," he demanded from him. "You can leave, Erik. You can leave here and have her taken somewhere safe. Do you understand me?"

"Please," Annalise tried to continue. "Let's go…please, Erik."

And as he saw her close her eyes again, her also closed his eyes, bowing his head as everyone cheered once the missiles fell into the water.

…

"They're keeping her in for the evening to observe her."

Erik stood in his leather jacket and slacks, his arms folded over his chest as Charles stood across from him in a purple shirt and dark trousers. The two men were in her hospital room, yet Annalise was sleeping, hooked up to various monitors with her eyes closed. Erik stood next to her head, one of his hands slowly moving to stroke the hair from her eyes.

"She will be fine, yes?" Charles asked, looking to her sleeping form and Erik nodded in agreement.

"They think so," Erik said. "She has cuts and bruises…but nothing is broken…she's just going to be sore for a while."

"Glad to hear she will pull through," Charles said.

Erik nodded and dared to look at Charles after a moment or two.

"I trust you're not just here to see her." Erik spoke and Charles shook his head, his hands moving to his hips as he looked to the ceiling, a shaky breath escaping his lips.

"No," Charles said. "I'm here because I want to know what the hell you were thinking. You killed Shaw…you would have killed those men…you could have ruined everything. Moira has agreed not to haul you in for killing Shaw."

Chuckling darkly, Erik nodded.

"What's so funny?" Charles demanded.

"You," Erik said. "Did you truly think I would have let Shaw live? He murdered my mother. He tortured me and he hurt Annalise. If you think that I would have left him then you are truly foolish."

Charles moved further into the room, his anger taking hold of him. "I can understand, Erik. I can understand why you killed him, but those men on the ships? All you had to do was stop the missiles. You just had to stop them and that would have been the end of everything."

Erik's body began to shake with annoyance. "Stop it," Erik demanded. "Those men would have killed us for being who we are. Do you not understand? Can you not see that they fear us? Humans will never accept us."

"No?" Charles wondered, motioning to Annalise with his head. "And what about her? She's a human and she accepts you. She loves you."

"She is the exception."

"No, we can make the exception the rule," Charles replied. "You are just so full of hatred that you refuse to see it. Do you think Annalise wants that, Erik? Do you think she wants you to be so full of hate? She wants you to just be you. She loves you."

"Then perhaps she is foolish," Erik retorted and Charles blinked profusely. "Perhaps she deserves someone who will take care of her."

"She doesn't need taking care of."

"She doesn't need to be lying in a hospital bed because of me," Erik responded, his mind a complete and utter whirl as he took his hand from Annalise and stuffed it into his pocket. Before he knew what he was doing, he was walking for the door. "Stay with her. I need to go out for a bit."

"Where?" Charles demanded.

"Out."

…..

Looking at the corpse of Sebastian Shaw, Erik felt nothing. He thought that he might have felt relief. He thought that he might have felt joy. But there was nothing. The sun had set and Erik was shrouded in darkness, the only light coming from the dodgy electric lights in the ship.

He picked the coin up that had gone Shaw's skull. He tossed it to the side before standing up tall and looking down. His life…what did he do now? Did he go back to Annalise? Did he have the happy family life? What was his purpose? He didn't know.

As he walked out the submarine, he passed the helmet Shaw had been wearing. Bending down, he picked it up, holding it in his hands and juggling it slightly. His gaze remained intense on the helmet before he frowned and tucked it under his arm, walking away with it.

…..

A/N: Let me know what you think!


End file.
